


CrossFire

by EdensWorld



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - School, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:49:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 143,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24875677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdensWorld/pseuds/EdensWorld
Summary: "...Can we be friends?""I thought you'd never ask,"You, Shin Seungha, had the ability to control ice. You were the older sister to Shin Ryujin and Shin Yuna. In your school you were the coldest, most isolated member of your class. You were feared by everyone, teachers included. No one dared speak to you. Well, everyone except one person.Choi Yerim, or as everyone called her, Choerry was the sweetest girl in the school. She could control fire. She was her class president, she partook in many clubs and was practically raised by her friends Jinsoul and Jungeun. However one student always refused to speak or acknowledge the girl. But it didn't bother Choerry, she knew one day she would get that student to open up.So it shocked everyone when you asked Choerry a favour despite never having spoken to the girl before. Will a single interaction create a whole new experience?
Relationships: Choi Jisu | Lia/Shin Ryujin, Ha Sooyoung | Yves/Kim Jiwoo | Chuu, Jeon Heejin/Kim Hyunjin, Jeon Heejin/Shin Ryujin, Jo Haseul/Viian Wong | ViVi, Jung Jinsol | Jinsoul/Kim Jungeun | Kim Lip, Lee Chaeryeong/Shin Yuna, Park Chaewon | Go Won/Son Hyejoo | Olivia Hye
Comments: 43
Kudos: 63





	1. Fire Meets Ice

**Author's Note:**

> So... this is my first story on AO3?
> 
> I've also posted this on Wattpad but I'm interested in seeing how it does on here
> 
> In essence- this is a Choerry x reader, but initially will be more a friendship than a romantic ship. Also, gave the reader a name because who calls "YN" their name? NO ONE! So, the reader is Shin Seungha, sister to Shin Yuna and Shin Ryujin and is feared by everyone. Almost everyone.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy and please, comment your thoughts, it gives me the motivation to update and write more.

**=======**

The harsh, piercing beeping of Yerim's alarm clock startled her out of her quiet slumber. The morning sun's light faded into her room from the curtains as she reached over to turn the annoying alarm off. The faint shine of warm sunlight highlighted the vibrant purple walls. She let out an annoyed groan before getting up, Her hair dishevelled and eyes tired, she tried standing out of the bed. She took a moment to look around her room. The various posters, movie cases, books, and whatever else she had was still there. Her desk sat by the window, her materials all neatly lined up on it with her bag on her chair, already packed with what she needed. She made a mental note to thank her roommate Jungeun for this later. 

She trudged on over to the bathroom turned the faucet on. The cold water flowing as she held her hands underneath it. She cupped the water up before splashing it onto her face to wake her up. That seemed to have done the trick because now a large smile adorned Yerim's face as she began the rest of her bathroom routine whilst humming to some song she heard on the radio the other day.

=======

You groaned as you heard the faint ringing of a certain metallic object. You groggily got up and slammed the snooze button on the alarm clock to silence its incessant beeps that awoke you in the first place. You were about to fall back asleep before your eyes fell upon the time on the clock. _Great_ , you thought to yourself as you sighed. You weren't one to break routine. You got up and rubbed your head, your hair felt messy. You looked around, the plain white walls reflecting light around the room, making it seem excessively bright. Books and a few movie cases still lay neatly on their shelves. There wasn't much else that agve the room personality. No posters, not much color. Everything was bare save the shelves. 

You tiredly stood and walked over to the bathroom. You could make out the faint figure of what seemed to be Ryujin taking a shower. You thanked any gods up there that the glass was too foggy to make anything out because whilst most would dream about seeing the girl this way, you really weren't in the mood to see your own sister taking a shower. Especially given how damn fatigued you felt. You heard Ryujin's complaints from inside the shower as you ran some cold water from the faucet and splashed it on your face.

"SIS I'M IN HERE!" You heard her as you groaned.

"Shut up. I'm tired," You said back in an unenthusiastic and annoyed tone. You heard her frustrated complains and only rolled your eyes.

"Yuna's still asleep so keep it down," You replied as she began quietly muttering and complaining.

=======

Yerim happily skipped down to the table at the centre of the little kitchen her roommates had set up when they first entered the dorm. She saw a fresh set of pancakes on her plate as she happily sat down on her chair with the purple cushion. Jinsoul saw her friend as she began flipping some more pancakes and preparing them onto a plate. She smiled and walked over, ruffling Yerim's hair once she made her way over.

"You look excited kiddo," Jinsoul said as Yerim pouted.

"You're not _that_ much older than me," she said as Jinsoul chuckled at those few words. 

"True, but it doesn't feel that way sometimes," She said laughing a little as Jungeun walked in. She noticed Jinsoul tense a little bit as Jungeun coughed.

"I-" both girls said as they looked down at their feet. Yerim pouted again and sighed. Why did this always happen? She looked between the two, wondering who would say it first, an awkward silence was held between them before Yerim rolled her eyes and spoke up.

"Cmon, say it," She said as she expectedly, waited for either to speak up.

"I'm... I'm sorry for what I said last night, I was way out of line, I'm sorry," Jungeun said as Jinsoul shook her head.

"No no, I'm sorry, I should be more considerate about you too, I'm sorry," Jinsoul said as she opened her arms, "Hug?"

Jungeun was about to comment about not being in the mood but she bit her lip and hesitated. This gave Yerim a chance as she nodded to Jungeun subtly as Jungeun sighed and smiled. She walked over.

"Alright, you big baby," Yerim didn't know if that targeted at her or at Jinsoul. She didn't care. She didn't want the strained couple to keep fighting. She began to eat into her pancakes as Jinsoul handed Jungeun her own plate. The three shared a smile as they all began talking. Choerry checked her phone.

_**Olivia Hye** 5 new messages_

_**Park Chaewon** 2 new messages_

_**Im Yeojin** 20 new messages_

She then chuckled lightly at seeing the number of messages from their shared group chat.

_**Badass** , **Godly, Adorable Antichrists** 450 new messages_

She smiled upon remembering how the chat name came to be- with Yeojin naming the antichrists part and with everyone else deciding to add one adjective each- Olivia, Chaewon and then Yerim, in that order. She could still recall their initial complaints about the word she chose. How no one was bothered by the contrast of "Godly" and "Antichrists" was beyond her. Still, she was glad to have such friends.

_**Badass, Godly, Adorable Antichrists** _

**Im Yeojin:** Anyways, that's why we now have a turtle

**Im Yeojin:** I think I'll call him Jean Pierre

**Im Yeojin:** lmao where is Choerry at

**Choerry:** eating pancakes with my roomates :D

**Im Yeojin:** tell jinsoul I said hi

**Choerry:** I don't think she's ever gonna forget that day

**Im Yeojin:** IT WAS AN ACCIDENT

**Olivia Hye:** still happened dumbass 

=======

You walked your way downstairs to the kitchen table as you saw your childhood friend, Kim Yongsun, setting up the table with plates of breakfast. Your own plate had little food on it, not because she didn't like you, but because your friend had learnt you didn't like to eat much for breakfast anyhow. She smiled at you as you merely nodded in her general direction. You took one of the two buttered pieces of toast she laid down for you as well as a glass of fresh orange juice.

You bit into the toast as you let out a sigh.

"You alright Seungha?" She asked you as you let out a groan.

"I didn't get much sleep last night," You replied taking another bite.

"Headache?" She asked as you nodded. "Exam stress?" You shook your head.

"Yuna stress," you replied

"Doesn't that happen a lot? I thought you leant how to handle Yuna stress after she set a swimming pool on fire," She said as you visibly recoiled and shuddered. That incident still had you waking up in a cold sweat. You shook your head.

"Different kind of Yuna Stress," You said, taking another bite out of the toast as you could visibly see your friend put two and two together. 

"Oh! Today is the day where Yuna transfers to your school!" She said triumphantly as you merely nodded in return. "Why are you so stressed over it?"

"I'm just... worried, is all. You know _why_ she has to transfer in the first place. I'm just..."

"Scared history will repeat itself?" She asked as you glared back.

"Scared?"

Yongsun rolled her eyes at your question, " _Worried_ ," she forgot, forgot that Ms. Shin Seungha never got scared of anything but everything was scared of her. At least as far as she knew.

"Anyways, yeah, _worried_ ," You replied as she sighed.

"Don't stress about it too much Seungha- you're only burdening yourself, she'll be fine. After all," Yongsun said, "She has Utopia Academy's _Negative_ _Student, Zero,_ protecting her,"

You let out a light chuckle, a rare sight from you. "That nickname is so dumb..."

"Yeah, still bummed out no-one went with my _Zero'th Student,_ " Ryujin mentioned as she joined the two.

"People still call me Zero dumbass," you replied to which Ryujin scoffed.

"It isn't the same," she simply stated. "Oh and for the love of God Seungha, wait till I'm done showering," You rolled your eyes and took a sip from the glass of orange juice Yongsun had also given. "I need my damn privacy,"

=======

Yerim slung the backpack over her shoulders as she looked to her friends who smiled. "See you guys after classes!" She smiled as she walked out of the shared dormitory and skipped her way down to her first class. She passed a few students on the way, all of whom smiled and waved at the cheery girl, a gesture Yerim reciprocated.

" _Oh wow is that Choerry?_ "

" _She looks so pretty today,_ "

" _Girl, she looks pretty every day,_ "

" _Are you sure she isn't related to Jinsoul or Kim Lip?_ _She_ _has their_ _visuals_ _,_ "

_People still call Jungeunnie that?_ Yerim- now Choerry mused to herself about the little nickname Jinsoul had originally given her girlfriend when they first met.

" _She's so damn beautiful I don't blame you,_ "

" _Man she is so nice,_ "

" _Who could possibly hate her?_ "

" _Blind ass idiots,_ " Choerry giggled, looking at the person who said it and sent them an adorable smile. One that would melt anyone's heart.

" _AHHH SHE LOOKED AT ME,_ "

" _I NOTICED_ ,"

Choerry smiled to herself. She loved that everyone respected her.

=======

You sighed to yourself as you finally reached the school's gates as you left Yongsun's house. You had left way before Ryujin and Yuna had. You only saw a few people around. _Good_ , you thought to yourself. The fewer people you had to deal with, the better. She walked into the school premises and immediately began hearing comments about her.

" _Oh my god... is that Zero?"_

" _Zero is looking as scary as ever..._ "

" _Dude don't say that, she'll freeze us,_ "

" _I hope she doesn't see me,_ "

" _Why is she always scowling?_ "

" _She's pretty hot for someone so cold,_ " you could at least muse yourself with that line. But by the time you looked up the person who said it was long gone and you were only met with the fearful eyes of everyone else. If you were honest, you were slightly disheartened. But you didn't show it. You kept your head high and avoided their gazes as you made your way to the principal's office. You were strong and everyone had to fear you. 

" _Girl... are the rumours true? Is the principal scared of Seun- I mean Zero too?_ "

" _I wouldn't blame him, that girl has ice running through her veins,_ " you sighed as you took a sneak glance at who said it. They seemed to have noticed and immediately ran off.

You sighed. You weren't sure if you were happy or sad that everyone feared you.

=======

Yerim happily bounced into the classroom for her first lesson. She had already said "hi" to most people in the corridors and had finally made her way to the other side of the building to her first class. No one else was there. She wasn't surprised. Most of the time she was one of the first students there. Well, one of.

She looked over to one of the seats to see Seungha asleep. Yerim walked over and was going to wake you up when he hesitated slightly. You looked so quiet, so peaceful. It was one of the few moments you didn't have a blank or scowling expression. It was a rare sight. She smiled to herself. _I'd really_ _rather let_ _her stay asleep,_ _she_ _looks so calm, so at peace... but I_ _better_ _wake her_ _up_ _anyways_ she thought to herself as she gently shook you.

You stirred awake as Yerim's adorable smile met your eyes. This was routine. You'd wake up early, come to the classroom, sleep off any sleep you missed and Choerry would walk in to wake you up. You replied with an empty 'thanks' which seemed to please her. You watched as Choerry skipped down to her seat at the front of the class, contrasting with yours at the back. More people seemed to walk in as they greeted Choerry and tried not to look your way.

This was routine. But you may need to break it.

=======

_You were_ _trying_ _your_ _hardest_ _not to freeze the principal_ _right_ _where_ _he stood. Anyone could tell you were mad by the_ _fact_ _that_ _the temperature had dropped significantly._ _Still_ _, the principal_ _didn't_ _falter_ _as her assistant was_ _shivering_ _both_ _literally and with_ _fear_ _._

_Contrary_ _to the_ _many_ _rumours_ _, the principal_ _didn't_ _fear you and was one of_ _the_ _few people who could keep you in line._ _Whether_ _that_ _was_ _the_ _fact_ _he was stronger than you or because he was a_ _kind-hearted_ _mentor figure for you since_ _childhood that did more for you than your parents ever did though_ _was up for_ _debate_ _._

_"So- let me get this_ _straight_ _,"_ _the_ _principal_ _nodded as you spoke, "_ _I_ _**can't**_ _look_ _after_ _Yuna on her first day and show her_ _around_ _the school?"_

_"No,"_

_"Why?" You asked,_ _trying_ _not to show a sign of frustration. "Why can't I?"_

_"If_ _I'm_ _correct you have 3 tests for_ _today_ _if you were to show Yuna_ _around_ _for a tour_ _of_ _the school that_ _would_ _conflict_ _with_ _your_ _schedule," the principal stated a matter-of-factly._

_"But-" You_ _began_ _as_ _the_ _principal looked to her_ _assistant_ _and_ _signalled_ _her to leave. She seemed quite pleased_ _with_ _this as she_ _hurriedly_ _made her way out of the_ _cramped_ _office_ _. One she was gone you finally visibly showed_ _your_ _frustration,_ _dropping_ _that_ _cold front you put up. "But Namjoon- you know what_ _happened_ _in Yuna's old_ _school_ _... I can't let that happen_ _again_ _,"_

_"And it won't,_ _I_ _have_ _plenty_ _faith_ _I_ _can find a_ _student_ _who won't hate Yuna," Namjoon said as he relaxed into his chair._

_"There's no guarantee!"_ _you_ _continued_ _to_ _argue_ _, slamming_ _your_ _hands on his table. Anyone outside_ _the_ _office made a run for it as you stared him down. He showed no fear, no_ _expression_ _. Pure calmness. He stood_ _up_ _as you looked up at_ _his_ _taller figure,_ _glaring_ _with icy daggers. He_ _walked_ _around_ _his_ _desk_ _to your side. You turned to face_ _him_ _. You_ _crossed_ _your arms. He_ _sighed_ _and opened his arms and took you into a hug._

_Your_ _eyes_ _widened_ _but you_ _sighed_ _and_ _welcomed_ _the hug._

_"Got a lot on your mind_ _about_ _this, kiddo?" He asked as you nodded._

_"_ _I'm_ _just... worried_ _history_ _will_ _repeat itself," you muttered as you felt his hand rub your back in a_ _calming_ _manner._

_"It'll be fine," he said, "If you want, I can let you pick someone_ _to look_ _after Yuna?" He asked as_ _you_ _thought_ _about it._

_"Can't Ryujin show her_ _around_ _?"_

_"Ryujin_ _herself_ _has a_ _few_ _tests too," he_ _stated_ _as you sighed, "You know how she is with school work,"_

_"Fine,_ _I'll_ _find someone," you muttered as he let go of the hug and left his hands on your_ _shoulders_ _._

_"_ _That's_ _great, kiddo," he said._

_"Thanks, Joon," you said to which he smiled._

_"I thought we agreed its_ _**principal** _ _on school_ _grounds_ _," he said._

_"Chill," you unintentionally_ _punned_ _, "No one is_ _around_ _to hear me, not_ _even your_ _stupid_ _assistant_ _,"_

_You both_ _smiled_ _to_ _one_ _another_ _as you began to walk_ _out_ _of his office. Once your hand reached_ _the_ _doorknob you sighed. You dropped_ _your_ _smile as you replied_ _with_ _a cold '_ _thank_ _you principal' and_ _walked_ _out. Namjoon sighed, try as he might, he can't get you to drop your cold persona in_ _front_ _of anyone else._

=======  
 ** _(Third_** ** _person_** ** _pov)_**

Seungha thought back to the events with the principal. She needed someone else to look after Yuna for the day. The problem came in the fact that... she wasn't friends with anyone besides Ryujin and Yuna. Yongsun too, but she didn't go to this school. So, when she agreed to find someone, she didn't realise it would be so hard. She only had to go off of the small fearful interactions she's had with them or the way they interacted with everyone else.

Her eyes darted around the room whilst no one noticed. Nayeon? She thought as she watched the girl brashly brag about her past achievements whilst slighting some girl in front of her. _Too arrogant_ She thought. Olivia Hye? She looked as Olivia muttered curse words under her breath whilst trying to avoid talking to the girl next to her. _Too mean_ Seungha thought, laughing a little mentally. Her? Calling someone else mean and cold? She then looked to Yeojin, the girl Olivia was avoiding. Seungha cringed a little, _too loud_.

She then looked to the girl who sat next to them both and was laughing at Yeojin's (admittedly) terrible jokes (Seungha found them entertaining but she wouldn't dare admit it to herself, let alone anyone). _Choerry_ _._ Seungha thought for a moment and realised. _Kind, generous, warm-hearted and cheerful. Perfect._ She thought to herself.

Seungha stood as everyone's eyes fell to her. Everyone was deadly silent as she walked down the steps between rows. She could hear gulps as she passed several individuals. Choerry looked up as she stood beside her. She noted, everyone either had fear or in Yeojin's and Olivia's case, malice, in their eyes. Yet Choerry simply smiled at her.

"Do you need help with something Seungha?" She asked in her usual cheery tone. Seungha had to admit, it was calming.

"Yeah, my sister is transferring to this school today and neither I nor Ryujin can tour her around. I was going to ask if you could do it for me? If you're not busy that is," she asked as people's jaws dropped. _Seungha? Asking for_ _help_ _?_ That's what she knew was going through their heads.

Meanwhile, Choerry smiled to herself and was screaming mentally. _FINALLY_! she thought to herself, _FINALLY, SEUNGHA SPOKE TO ME! ARE WE FRIENDS NOW?_

But she saved her mental questions for later and beamed back a smile. "Of course Seungha! Thanks for asking!" The girl in question nodded and walked back to her seat as everyone's eyes were still on her.

Seungha groaned, "The hell are you all looking at?" She asked in an icy cold voice. Everyone swore the room got colder. People immediately began to chatter again and avoided looking at her. Seungha sighed as she walked back to her seat and relaxed in it.

Choerry, meanwhile, was ecstatic. "Guys! Seungha finally spoke back to me! And it wasn't an empty 'thank you' or some threat to scare me off. She wanted my help!"

"Are you sure about this, Choerry?" Yeojin asked as she nodded.

"That Seungha girl is an Ice Queen, I'm surprised she even spoke to you," Choerry's other friend, Chaewon, spoke up.

"Me too!" Choerry beamed as her friends sighed.

"But... her sister?" Yeojin questioned, "So Ryujin and Seungha have another sister? I didn't know,"

"No one knows much about the icy bitch," Olivia muttered.

"You're still salty she kicked your ass in a fight?" Yeojin snickered. Olivia shot daggers in return.

"I didn't lose, I merely failed to win," she claimed as Chaewon giggled.

"Don't worry Hyejoo, if you guys had a rematch I'm sure you would've kicked her ass," Chaewon said with a happy expression towards Olivia.

"Yeah- thanks Chaewon," Olivia said looking away as Chaewon smiled at her. Choerry could've sworn that there was a pink tint on Olivia's face.

Choerry thought to herself. Did Seungha really trust her that much? But the two have barely spoken. She looked over to the icy girl who didn't seem to notice Choerry's gaze. Choerry knew how everyone feared Seungha. Even Jinsoul and Jungeun avoided her whenever possible. But she wondered if there was more to her. Seungha was a mystery and Choerry was determined to solve it, and hopefully make friends with her in the process.

Despite what Choerry thought, Seungha did notice her. She merely sighed. Maybe there's a reason she never broke routine.

=======

The teacher stood at the front of the classroom as chatter subsided. The teacher, Professor Min Yoongi, began to speak as eyes fell upon him. Everyone seemed to forget about Seungha's favour she asked of Choerry, much to her relief. The last thing she needed was people talking about that all day. She sighed as the Professor announced the tests.

"Now, due to the school events happening last week- some people haven't been able to complete their Maths Tests, so I'll be issuing those to the people who haven't done the tests yet," he said as there was a quiet chorus of groans as he made his way around. "To those that have- please take out some homework from other lessons or a book, do what you want so long as you don't disrupt those doing the tests. I want complete silence,"

As he was doing that, Seungha heard a voice in her head. No, she wasn't going insane. Rather it was the voice of Namjoon.

_**Kim Namjoon: Unrestrained Telekinetic Power** _  
_**He is a powerful telepath** _ _**with** _ _**extreme** _ _**psionic powers that go unrivalled and uninhibited. His** _ _**telepathy** _ _**reads far** _ _**and** _ _**wide** _ _**though** _ _**he** _ _**prefers** _ _**not to** _ _**invade** _ _**others minds** _ _**without** _ _**their permission or unless he** _ _**needs** _ _**to relay** _ _**important** _ _**information** _ _**.** _

_**Power- 10** _

_**Speed- 10** _

_**Defence- 10** _

_**Medical - 10** _

_**Skill - 10** _

_**Range - 10** _

_**Overall Level: 10** _

_"Hey Seungha, have you found_ _anyone_ _yet_ _?"_

_Yeah_ , Seungha thought back.

_"Who?"_

_Choerry_ , she couldn't think too many things. The last thing she needed was to think and accidentally tell him something she wanted to keep a secret.

" _Thanks,_ _I_ _think you made a good_ _choice_ ," he soon left her mind as he soon sent another telepathic signal to both Choerry and the professor simultaneously.

As Yeojin started to whine about having to do the test, Choerry heard the principal's voice in her head.

" _Choi Yerim- please come to_ _my_ _office,_ _I_ _believe_ _Seungha has already explained_ _why_ _,_ " he soon left their minds too. Choerry got up, leaving her back under the table. The professor seemed to be confused over the mention of Seungha but he signalled Choerry to go regardless. She smiled at the professor and walked out.

Seungha had to admit, Namjoon's little telepathic network worked way better than some intercom system. She soon received her own paper. She readied the blue pen in her right hand as she got to work.

=======

Choerry, once again skipping, made her way over to the Principal's office. The door opened for her thanks to his telekinetic powers. "Thank you, principal!" She smiled as she saw him and another student. She had long brown hair and bangs at the front. She assumed this was Seungha's sister.

"You must be Yuna?" Choerry asked as Yuna nodded, smiling. "You have a nice smile," Choerry said, giggling.

"Yuna, this is Yerim," The principal introduced the two.

"Hi!" Choerry said, extending her hand, "I'm Yerim- but everyone calls me Choerry!"

"I'm Yuna!" Yuna said shaking her hand.

"I think you two will get along nicely," The principal said. "Your sisters couldn't show you around and I'm a little busy with some paperwork so Seungha asked Choerry here to show you around,"

"Oh! Are you friends with my sister?" Yuna asked as Namjoon looked up at Choerry. It was no secret how cold and distant Seungha was from everyone but Namjoon hadn't been able to tell her that yet. As far as she knows her sister is a quiet, reserved but friendly individual. He was interested to hear how Choerry would explain it.

"No! But I'm trying!" She said, still beaming.

_The_ _positivity_ _in_ _that_ _girl is_ _unmatched_ , Namjoon thought to himself. "Well, you best be on your way," he said as the two nodded and left his office. The telepath wondered to himself about Choerry. The fact that Seungha even trusted someone a little to look after Yuna made him smile. Maybe Choerry is closer to being Seungha's friend then even Seungha thinks.

=======

Choerry walked around the halls, past different classrooms and pointed to them. "This is Professor Taehyung's Art classroom, he's super nice and it's one of my favourite classes. Everyone is so nice and open-minded!" She said as Yuna smiled at it.

They walked past it to a different one, "This is Professor Seokjin's class, he teaches history, the subject can get a little boring but he tries his best to keep everyone interested. It's probably why everyone still likes the class even a little,"

Yuna giggled, "Didn't you mention something about him and the principal?"

"I'm telling you! The two are totally a thing, Yeojin said it herself,"

"Who's that?" Yuna asked quizzically as Choerry smiled.

"She's my best friend!" She said as Yuna smiled.

"I hope I can get a best friend, people didn't like me too much back at my old school..." she trailed off slightly. When Yuna saw Choerry's concerned look she immediately threw on a large smile, "But I'm sure everyone here is nice!" Choerry smiled.

"They really can be!" She said as they continued their walk.

"This is Professor Tiffany's class. She's super nice and a lot of the guys and girls in our class have crushes on her,"

"Do you?" Yuna asked.

"I don't think so, I've not really been interested in romance. I really just wanna make friends!" She said. Yuna had to admit, Choerry's positivity was rubbing off on her. She was so happy her older sister trusted someone like her. She wasn't sure if they were friends based on what Choerry said, but she thought they should be. After all, Yuna wasn't oblivious to the fact her sister was really only friends with Yongsun and her own sisters. Her sister was nice but a loner.

"Choerry.. can we be friends?" Yuna asked as Choerry's eyes widened with joy.

"Sure!" She squealed, "This is going to be so much fun! I have to introduce you to my other friends, they're really nice,"

"Yay!" Yuna responded as the two cheery girls continued with the tour.

=======

As the tour came to a close, so did the first period. Choerry bid Yuna goodbye as the girl with bangs walked to her next class that Choerry pointed her towards. Choerry then walked back to her previous class. Most people had left now, save Seungha, who was busy packing her stuff away. Choerry smiled to herself as she grabbed her bag from under the table she left it at.

Finally, the perfect chance to talk to Seungha! She thought to herself as she walked over. Seungha seemed aware of her presence. Most of the time in these situations, Seungha would tell Choerry to go away, maybe throw in a threat about freezing her where she stood. Yet, something compelled her not to. To listen to the girl as opposed to pushing her away elsewhere.

Choerry smiled and began to talk. Seungha found herself listening as she listed off the fun and interesting conversations she had with Yuna and how she found the young girl to be incredibly fun to talk to. It was something that pleased Seungha, to know how someone was already becoming friends with her sister. In fact, she found it so pleasant she didn't even notice the small smile gracing her face as the bubbly girl continued to talk. Choerry then gasped as Seungha gave her a quizzical look.

"What is it?" Seungha asked as Choerry shook her head.

"You have a nice smile Seungha, you should smile more often," Choerry said. Seungha lifted her hand to her lips. She _was_ smiling. That was weird. She never smiled... she never broke her cold persona in school. Yet... Choerry...

"You're a mystery Choerry... maybe breaking routine isn't so bad after all," she sighed however as she donned her usual cold, emotionless face once more.

As much as she considered it, as much as she was tempted, she couldn't. She and Choerry weren't friends. She was cold. She had to be that way. She had to always stay that way.

**======**


	2. Give them a chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, new chapter ^^
> 
> Once again, I ask for comments because it makes me more motivated to update plus I love hearing what some of you guys have to say. I've already begun reading through some last chapter. 
> 
> So, a lot more happens this time around and this chapter will be quite long.
> 
> So be prepared. Like, mentally. Anyways, here is the second chapter ^^

Choerry skipped down to her next class. People sent waves and smiles to her yet again. If there were to be one thing known about the cheery girl, well it was that. She was always happy and had a smile on her face. Practically nothing could sully her mood, as far as her classmates knew. Combine that with a pretty powerful ability and she was one of the most respected students throughout her school.

Skipping and singing to herself happily, she finally reached Professor Sera's lecture. She sent a smile and a wave to the professor who happily returned the gesture. She continued to walk and found her seat between Jungeun and Jinsoul. She felt her heart sink a little at seeing the two friends she practically considered sisters to her so distant. Even if it was only a seat between them, she remembered how the two would sit by each other. How they were always so connected and how nowadays, they felt more distant.

Still, she kept up her smile and sat between them, after all, today turned out to be a particularly special day for her. It was the day she finally saw Seungha smile. A day Choerry didn't expect to happen so soon.

"Someone seems a little cheery today," Jinsoul laughed as Choerry turned to her.

"What do you mean? I'm always cheery!" Choerry smiled as a laugh could be heard from Jungeun.

"That's true, but I think she meant you seem a lot happier today than usual," She explained as Choerry seemed to smile to herself.

"I don't know what you're talking about," She said merrily with a grin as she focused herself back onto Professor Sera's lecture. Jinsoul and Jungeun looked to each other and smirked, they were determined to find out why the bubbly girl was so much more chipper than usual.

=======

"So... did you do really well on a test?" Jinsoul whispered as Choerry shook her head. Jinsoul cursed under her breath and mouthed the words _'your turn'_ to Jungeun who nodded.

"Did Yeojin do really well on a test? And you're feeling proud?" Choerry shook her head again as Jungeun nodded her head towards Jinsoul who smirked.

"Did... you correct Professor Yoongi again?"

"Did someone ask you out?"

"Did solve a problem that some people had?"

"Did you win a bet?"

"Did you think of a new colour to dye your hair? I think you should try pink,"

"Did you get a hug?"

"Did you beat someone in a Network Duel?" Choerry shot a frustrated look at Jinsoul. Jinsoul mouthed the word 'Sorry' and decided to back off for a while.

"Well, what is it?" Jungeun asked as Choerry let out a sigh of content as she looked to her. The upbeat girl looked around the room and then looked back to the curious brunette.

"Seungha smiled at me..." She whispered as quietly as possible. It still didn't stop Jinsoul from exclaiming a loud shout at the top of her lungs.

"Miss Jinsoul if you could please keep quiet, I'm sure whatever Yerim told you wasn't that mind-blowing," Sera said as she rolled her eyes and continued on with her lecture. 'Totally was' Jinsoul mouthed to herself, resting her arms and head on the desk in front of her.

Luckily, no one seemed to have heard what Choerry said, much to the younger girl's relief.

"Seugha smi-" Jinsoul turned around to look at the cheery girl.

"Yes... and she looked so pretty whilst doing it!" She silently squealed. 

"I don't buy it, Seungha, smiling? Choerry have you met that girl?" Jungeun asked as Choerry nodded.

"I toured her sister around the school for the first period," She said with a proud expression. Jungeun chuckled before looking Choerry in the eyes.

"Maybe that's why you're so happy. C'mon Choerry, Seungha smiling? Maybe you were just imagining things. I don't think you got enough sleep last night," Whilst Jungeun had a light expression on her face Choerry pouted and turned away from the girl. _I know I saw it_ , she thought to herself as Jungeun tried to speak to her, only to be ignored.

Jungeun sighed and went back to working as Jinsoul looked to them both with a slightly sorrowed expression. _Sorry if we ruined your day kiddo_ , she sighed and began paying attention to the lecture as the three remained silent to one another for the rest of the hour.

=======

As the lesson came to a close, Jungeun immediately tried to speak to the younger girl, but Choerry walked past her without even sparing a glance. Jungeun sighed defeatedly as Jinsoul patted the girl's back.

"It's okay, she'll cool off and apologise like fifty times over once we're back at the dorm," She reassured but that did nothing to calm the other's nerves.

"Maybe she will, but still, I feel sorta bad... do you believe her?" Jungeun asked as Jinsoul nodded, "How?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"It's Seungha, literally the coldest girl in the entire school," Jungeun said as she massaged her temples.

"Yeah but even the iciest of hearts can crack a smile or two," Jinsoul said, showing off her own signature beaming face. However, Jungeun scoffed.

"Have you met her?"

"Yeah! In the restrooms one time. I tried to talk to her but she froze the tap water around my hands and I was stuck for a good few minutes," the older recalled with a smile as Jungeun face-palmed.

"See? She treats people coldly for just speaking to her, there's no way she smiled at Yerim," Jungeun couldn't believe it.

"In your own words 'Have you met her?' Our Yerim can make literally anyone smile, I don't doubt for a second even someone as icy as Seungha can smile at her," Jungeun sighed, "I think you're not giving Yerim enough credit,"

"Don't make this about her," Jungeun said tiredly, "She has nothing to do with this," Jinsoul rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, she does. In case you didn't realise while you were being all grumpy, Yerim got mad _at you_ , she probably felt bad that someone like you, someone that was as close to her as you, doubted her," Jinsoul said crossing her arms.

"Oh okay Miss Hotshot, it's all my fault then? Am I just fucking it all up again? Is it my fault?" Jungeun challenged as she glared at Jinsoul. Jinsoul looked down with a dejected expression as she faced the floor. Jungeun's eyes softened, "Jinsoul, I-" but she hesitated. Jinsoul sighed and grabbed her bag. She muttered,

"Maybe it is," as she left the class, purposely bumping into Jungeun as she did. Jungeun let out a frustrated shout as she grabbed her own bag and stormed out of the classroom.

Sera sighed as the only one left in the classroom, "I hope they solve their issues. They're my favourite couple in the class..."

=======

Choerry sighed as she discontentedly made her way across the corridor. She had a free period and needed some fresh air. She didn't wanna worry everyone else over her own frustration. As she stormed through the corridor, she felt herself bump into someone. She fell to the floor. Worriedly, she looked up to see if the other person was alright but she was met with harsh eyes and a malicious grin.

"Well well well, what do we have here? The pretty Miss Perfect herself in a rush?" The voice said as Choerry looked down, "God you really are pathetic,"

"What do you want Jessi?" She asked with whatever confidence she could muster. The other girl scoffed.

"Nothing why would I need to talk to someone as sorry as you?" she snickered as Choerry bit her lip. However, they both felt it. A sudden drop in the surrounding temperature. Choerry looked up and saw Jessi's face covered in fear. This could all only mean one person...

"What's going on here?" The icy voice demanded as Jessi cursed under her breath.

"Wow! Zero! Fancy seeing you here," She said as Seungha sent a glare and Jessi gulped, "I-I'll be going now... bye!" She dashed off as far as she could, muttering something along the lines of 'When did _she_ care so much about her?', as Choerry's eyes met with Seungha's. Choerry's once distressed expression was replaced with one of sincere gratitude.

"Thank you," Seungha's eyes softened as she watched Choerry get up. The joyful girl dusted off the skirt she was wearing and sent a beaming smile towards Seungha as Seungha sent another warm, small smile.

 _I did it again_ she thought. She noticed as she immediately brought back her usual emotionless face.

 _I knew it was real_ Choerry smiled, content.

"You were smiling~" Choerry teased as Seungha's face stiffened.

"No I wasn't," She said without a hint of emotion, crossing her arms and looking away as Choerry giggled, "Anyways, what was that about? I thought everyone was your friend?" Choerry giggled again.

"Silly Seungha," That was something the apathetic girl had never heard someone call her before, "It's impossible and unrealistic for everyone to like me. Some people... some people see me as disingenuine, as a faker and poser. Other's just don't like how I'm one of the strongest students but outright refuse to participate in Duels or anything else,"

Seungha was quiet. Her impressions of the bubbly girl seemed to be slightly off. She thought Choerry was fine and like many people, that it was impossible to dislike her. Apparently, she was wrong. She found herself disliking this fact. "Don't worry though! I'll be fine, especially if someone like you believes me," and for some reason, that stuck with Seungha. She sighed to herself, she knew that Choerry could break her cold facade. And as much as the idea admittedly enticed her, she knew she couldn't let her. Choerry... wasn't different. If she knew Seungha... she would also be scared. Yes, that's what she thought.

Choerry then looked closer and walked towards Seungha. The girl was alarmed, even more so as Choerry moved her fingers to Seungha's hair.

"W-what are you doing?" Seungha asked, her face heating up by the proximity but she was (ironically) too frozen to even move.

"There are these little weird ice crystals in your hair..." She trailed off as she gently brushed her fingers amongst Seungha's hair. The colder girl let Choerry continue as she felt her warm fingers move.

"Yeah, that sometimes happens when I use my ability," The girl muttered as Choerry looked at her in the eye.

"Don't they hurt?" The younger asked with concern.

"Sometimes, but usually they melt," She heard Choerry 'hmm' in thought as an idea formed in the other girl's head.

"I have an idea," She then placed her fingers and Seungha felt them heat up, as the ice slowly melted then evaporated off of Seungha's hair. "Using my ability to heat up the ice... There!" The more positive girl said as Seungha looked away, attempting to hide her flushed face. Choerry giggled at this gesture. _Damnit, am I really getting embarrassed over this?_

"Wanna walk for a bit? I have a free period right now," The younger offered as Seungha thought.

_I'm sorry Choerry, but I'm gonna have to decline_

"No, I'm busy," She said, any colour on her face left as she coldy walked past Choerry.

"Aww come on Seunha!" Choerry said, grabbing Seungha's arm only for the colder girl to pull away harshly and turn to face the peppy girl, ice in Seungha's eyes. Choerry looked at her confused.

"We _aren't_ friends- I didn't stand up for you because I like you, I did it because I hated Jessi," _Right?_ she asked herself, "I appreciate you looking after Yuna, I have no problem with you being her friend, but please, let's go back to how things were. I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna be your friend," Seungha said, "Bye," she muttered as she walked off. Choerry was left, disheartened and a frown on her face.

 _Seungha... you aren't really what they say you are right? You're just a little confused, right? Well, I'll wait. I know you're a good person and I know you are, you really can smile, right?_ Despite having seen it twice now, not even Choerry was sure.

=======

Yuna smiled as she walked into her next class. She saw Choerry sitting by the window. She giggled and slowly walked up to her. As she got closer, she noticed the dejected look on the girl's face. She pouted and tapped her on the shoulder, "Chaeryeong, I-" Choerry muttered as Yuna cut her off.

"Wrong person," Choerry's eyes widened as she stood up and beamed.

"Yuna!" She said, immediately hugging the new girl. Yuna laughed and hugged the shorter girl back.

"Wow, you're in this class too?" Choerry asked as Yuna flashed a grin.

"Yep," she said beaming as she looked at Choerry. Yuna could see past Choerry's smile, it wasn't her natural one. Something was up, something was wrong. Before Yuna could ask someone tapped her on the back. She whipped around, her hair accidentally hitting Yerim in the face, to see who tapped her.

"Hi... um... you're in my seat..." The girl mentioned. Yuna was taken aback, the girl's voice was so soft, it felt soothing just to hear words come out of her mouth. The girl seemed to bury her face behind her hair, it was a shame to Yuna, she wanted to see the beautiful face that matched the voice.

"Oh! I'm sorry, is it fine if I sit next to you then?" Yuna asked as the shy girl nodded.

"No-one sits next to me anyway, only Choerry likes sitting with me..." Yuna pouted.

"Well they're idiots, I could listen to your voice all day... was that creepy?" Yuna asked, tilting her head slightly as the other girl's eyes widened. She pushed her hair out of the way, allowing Yuna to see the girl's face and... she was really taken aback. How could people not want to talk to this girl? Her face alone was amazing, and her voice, her shy and timid attitude that Yuna found cute. She found it hard to believe Choerry was her only friend in the class.

"Choerry said that to me..." the shy girl said.

"Huh?" Yuna asked

"Choerry said that to me on my first day here,"

"I heard my name?" The girl in question popped her head out from behind the tall girl.

"Oh- Hi Yerim," the shy girl said as Choerry giggled.

"Yuna, this is Chaeryeong. Chaeryeong, this is Yuna," Choerry said as Yuna grinned to Chaeryeong.

"Nice to meet to Chaeryeong!" Yuna beamed as the timid girl sent a small smile back. The three of them then sat down as Professor Jeon Jungkook entered the room and began the lesson.

"Is he new?" Choerry asked as Chaeryeong nodded.

"Apparently he used to go to this school, he's apparently a close friend of Professor Tae's," Chaeryeong mentioned as Choerry nodded. She noticed how most of the students were too busy focusing on him rather than what he was saying. Some weren't even being subtle.

"They could at least not drool," Yuna commented in mild disgust. Chaeryeong giggled at Yuna's expression which made Yuna smile and her heart jump. Meanwhile, Choerry was still thinking about her interaction with Seungha. How cold she seemed, what she said. ' _Let's go back to how things were. I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna be your friend,'_ she wondered, was it her? Did Choerry try too hard? Were Jungeun and Jinsoul right? Was it even worth trying to be friends with Seungha?

Choerry had never been so conflicted over being someone's friend. She sighed as she continued to make notes. Chaeryeong seemed to notice her friend's distress.

"Somethings wrong," Chaeryeong said as Yuna nodded.

"Yeah..." Yuna said as Chaeryeong looked to Yuna.

"You can tell too? How Yerim only writes in pink when she's feeling confused or sad?"

Yuna's eyes widened, she chuckled awkwardly, "Oh no- she just looks sad,"

"Ah- I'm not too great at reading people, ironic considering my ability," Chaeryeong said as Yuna raised an eyebrow.

"Your ability?" Yuna asked as she nodded.

"I can know someone's ability, level and stats just by looking at them. Such as you- you have a speed stat of 8, a power stat of 3, a defense stat of 3, a medical stat of 8, a skill stat of 4 and a stamina stat of 7. Your average level is 5.5. Your ability? You call it 'Mach Booster'," Chaeryeong said as Yuna looked impressed.

 _**Shin** _ _**Yuna** _  
_**She can** _ _**boost** _ _**her speed and** _ _**medical** _ _**stats, allowing her to move** _ _**at** _ _**incredible** _ _**speed** _ _**and heal insanely** _ _**quickly** _ _**from** _ _**dangerous** _ _**wounds** _ _**. As a** _ _**result** _ _**, she tends to eat a lot to** _ _**compensate** _ _**for her** _ _**ability** _ _**.** _

_**Power- 3** _

_**Speed- 8** _

_**Defense- 3** _

_**Medical- 8** _

_**Skill- 7** _

_**Range- 4** _

_**Overall Level- 5.5** _

_**Lee Chaeryeong** _  
_**She can read and** _ _**gauge** _ _**people's** _ _**abilities** _ _**. She** _ _**can** _ _**read** _ _**their stats and their levels just from a** _ _**glance** _ _**. This has lead to** _ _**many** _ _**people viewing her** _ _**as** _ _**a weirdo and** _ _**causing** _ _**a lack of friends and an** _ _**increase** _ _**in bullying.** _

_**Power- 2** _

_**Speed- 2** _

_**Defense- 2** _

_**Medical- 1** _

_**Skill- 8** _

_**Range- 8** _

_**Overall Level- 3.8** _

"Wow..."

Chaeryeong bit her lip nervously, "I'm weird, aren't I? I'm sorry, I can't control it, I can just tell what someone's level is from looking at them, I didn't mean to-"

"That was so cool!" Yuna exclaimed.

Chaeryeong looked confused, "Eh?"

"That was so cool! You just knew my ability? That was cool! You could be like the best mentor, you know everyone's skills and weaknesses," Yuna then gasped, Chaeryeong was still processing this, "Could you help me train? Since you can keep an eye on my stats you can help me find areas to improve in? So what do you say?" Yuna said, moving forward leaving their faces a few centimetres apart.

"I- um- sure!" Chaeryeong said as she pulled away amd immediately began taking notes as she hid behind her hair to hide the now blushed skin of her face. Yuna giggled and looked over to Choerry, who still seemed to be upset. She sighed and thought to herself.

 _Could it be... no..._ _could_ _it?_

=======

Choerry kept up the smile. She couldn't let anyone know she was feeling down. She was supposed to be a happy, perfect student. The last thing she wanted was for gossip to spread, especially if people tried to connect Seungha to it. She remembered what the cold girl had told her. They weren't friends. She should mind her own business. That would make her happy, right?

As she bought her food from the outdoors stand she looked around and saw her friends waiting for her at a wooden table. She smiled and walked over and sat down next to them. "Hi, guys!" Choerry said as she placed her lunch down. They smiled and nodded to her as Yeojin looked to her.

"So... Seungha helped you out?"

Choerry stuttered out, "H-how did you know?"

"I have my ways," the shorter girl smirked. (In reality, she saw Jessi walk into class muttering something about the two)

"That was kinda cool of her, to help you out," Chaewon said. Choerry nodded as Olivia looked to her. Olivia could see the girl seemed a little off. A little less upbeat.

"You okay?" She asked as she nodded, "Yerim, you can tell us anything,"

She sighed, "Girls... am I wrong to be nice to people? To try and be their friend?"

Almost everyone now knew who and why she was referring to this. Chaewon sighed, "I don't even have to read your mind to know Seungha said something after helping you out,"

"Makes sense. The cold-hearted bitch would totally be the type to shoot down Choerry just being nice," Olivia interjected with a scowl.

"No no, it wasn't her fault-"

"Girl, it was," Chaewon spoke up, "I agree with Oli, she's an icy cold bitch, it doesn't surprise me she was this cold. Don't take it too seriously Choerry, she treats everyone like that," Choerry didn't seem satisfied as she took a bite of her food.

"But I know she can be, that she is, a normal person. She isn't such a cold bi-"

"How come?" Yeojin said, cutting the girl off.

"I saw her smile," she sighed as the others gave her a dubious look, "Oh don't tell me you guys don't believe me either," both Olivia and Chaewon gave each other a look before Yeojin spoke up.

"I do," she said as Choerry looked to her with a smile.

"Really?" She asked hopefully as Yeojin gave her best friend a nod.

"Yeah, you could make anyone smile, doesn't surprise me that even Wannabe-Elsa would smile because of you," she said, earning a small laugh from the other girl. Chaewon smiled and spoke up.

"If it makes you feel better, try talking to her,"

Olivia then cut in, "and if she bothers you again I'll kick her ass,"

Choerry laughed at her friends antics, "You guys... you guys are the best,"

"We know," they all said at once making her laugh some more. They all looked to her with small smiles, now that the usually chipper and optimistic girl was back to her normal self they began to talk again. Things about Yeojin's most recent prank, Chaewon almost setting the cookery room on fire, again. Olivia beating someone in a Network Arena fight, which then gave Yeojin an idea.

"Oh! We should all go to the Network Arena," Yeojin suggested as Chaewon nodded but Olivia stopped.

"I don't know, we know Choerry isn't a big fan-"

"I'm fine with it," she said, cutting the dark-haired girl off and surprising the other two, "Well don't just stand there, let's go!" She said skipping off. Yeojin ran to catch up, Chaewon smiled and began skipping herself as Olivia sighed with a small smile and walked off with them.

Meanwhile, as they were walking away, Yuna and Chaeryeong walked outside with their own lunches. Chaeryeong pointed to a table where two others sat. Chaeryeong greeted them as they returned a smile and waved at Yuna as she sat down.

"Yuna, these are my friends, only other friends..." she trailed off before shaking her head, "This is Hyunjin and Lia," she said as they both smiled. Lia extended her hand as Yuna shook it.

"Pleasure to meet you, Yuna," Lia said as Yuna nodded.

"Nice to meet you too," She replied as Hyunjin offered a high-five as Yuna smiled and reciprocated the gesture.

"Nice! The name is Hyunjin," she said, taking a bite out of the croissant in front of her. Yuna looked down to the girl's meal to see it was almost primarily bread products.

"Awesome," Yuna replied as the group began a discussion over other topics. Lia mentioning her recent test scores, Hyunjin bringing up how well she and the other members of the sports team were doing. Chaeryeong spoke up here and there and Yuna learnt that she also had a great sense of humour. If people really weren't talking to her over her ability... she thought it was pretty brainless.

As they continued, Yuna spotted one of her sisters, "Hey is that Ryujin? Who's that girl she's with?" She said as the others followed her gaze. Indeed it was Ryujin, she had another girl linking arms with her and trying to speak only to be ignored by her.

Hyunjin sighed bitterly, "That's Heejin, her girlfriend..." she muttered, biting her croissant again. Yuna could tell there was something off.

"You know them?" Yuna asked as Hyunjin nodded.

"We've all been friends since elementary,"

"Really?" Yuna asked as she began to think of some of Ryujin's friends that had visited their home in the past. Then, she remembered.

"You're..." Hyunjin seemed confused, "You're the catgirl!" She said as Hyunjin's face went red and she immediately turned away, "Oh my god! I almost didn't recognize you without your cat ears headband and tai-"

"What happens at home, stays at home," She said, putting a hand over Yuna's mouth.

Chaeryeong seemed to nod slowly, "So... is this why you have a cat-ears headband and a fake tail and curl up like a cat and sleep like that at night?"

"You've seen that?" Hyunjin asked, somehow turning even redder.

"I think it's cute," Yuna said as Hyunjin growled back.

"Not. Helping." She spat as she continued to eat her croissant.

She noticed how Hyunjin's eyes would latch onto Heejin and how Lia's onto Yuna's sister. She knew that those to must've felt something towards them. She herself looked over to Ryujin and Heejin's relationship. She could feel something was forced. Whether it was Ryujin's occasional smiles and 'That's great babe's and Heejins own smiles as she tried to talk to her girlfriend.

Meanwhile, Chaeryeong seemed to have an idea. She gasped loudly and stood up. Hyunjin yelped in surprise, "Stop! I could've dropped my croissant!"

"Sorry," Chaeryeong apologised, "What if we all go to the Network Arena? To watch a fight,"

"Great idea!" Lia said as Yuna seemed confused.

"Sounds like a plan," Hyunjin said, suddenly her entire tray that was once full of bread was nothing but crumbs.

"Huh..." Yuna muttered, "Wait- what's a 'Network Arena'? My old school didn't have this," she mentioned as the others nodded.

"We'll show you, come on!" Lia said excitedly as the others ran after her and towards the Arena.

=======

 _**'** _ _**Welcome** _ _**to the Network Battle Arena!'** _

_**'** _ _**Current** _ _**Match: BM vs Wonho'** _

Yuna read across the holographic screen above as a fight between two students was going on below. She sat down in the stands and to her left, who else but Choerry sat next to her.

"Yuna!" She exclaimed, "How are you?"

"I'm great! Though, I'm kinda confused. Why are they fighting?"

"Its supposed to emulate the actual Network Games- once people began showing signs of powers you can bet it was turned into a sport. Decades later this sport lives on, and our school allows for simulated battles of it," Olivia summed up as she kept her eyes on the game, "Their technique could use some work..." she said absentmindedly.

"Yeah I know that- but isn't that dangerous? The Network Games are already really danerous with a lot of injuries, but a school allowing it?" She asked as Chaeryeong looked to her.

"Thanks to Principal Kim, he was able to boost the abilities of other teachers. Some of them have abilities like Probability Manipulation and can generally reduce the risk and increase the chance some injuries either don't happen or aren't as damaging. Then you take into account that some students have healing abilities and in general the risk and injury becomes redundant," Chaeryeong said, "In fact, the range of their abilities was increased so that they don't even have to be in the arena themselves,"

"Huh," Yuna replied, "So who are these guys fighting?"

"BM- Level 4.8. Wonho- Level 4," Chaeryeong mentioned as Yuna nodded. "BM can turn his skin into a sort of organic-metal substance and gains a boost in physical strength, Wonho meanwhile can 'bulk up' and gains an increase in size and strength,"

BM and Wonho both threw a punch, their fists colliding and sending out a small shockwave. Both then threw another punch, fists meeting again. This song-and-dance continued for a while, both of their fists meeting each others. As BM's right fist collided with Wonho's, he threw another punch to his gut. Wonho toppled over as BM then uppercutted the other. Wonho was sent flying upwards as he crashed back down.

 _ **'Winner- BM!'**_ The board read out as BM walked over to Wonho and offered a hand. Wonho laughed and took it as he was helped back up. "Nice one man," BM said, "Remember, we have a meeting with the committee later,"

Wonho nodded, hitting his chest before extending out a fist. The two fist bumped and walked back to their groups of friends.

_**'Next round- Elly and Yoojung vs Chuu and Yves!'** _

"Are we really using those names, Jiwoo?" A taller girl, by the name of Sooyoung, asked. Choerry could remember how Sooyoung was a close friend of Jinsoul's and how Jiwoo was a close friend of Jungeun. She smiled upon seeing the two and waved at them as they waved back

"Yes- HI CHERRY!" Jiwoo screamed as Choerry laughed.

"HI CHUU!" Choerry screamed back. Olivia covering her ears both time.

Chaeryeong looked to both sides. "Jiwoo- Level 6. Sooyoung- Level 6. Jiwoo can control the wind and Sooyoung can create powerful tremors and shockwaves," she said as Yuna nodded.

"What about the other two?"

"Elly- Level 4, Yoojung- Level 5.5," Chaeryeong replied with Yuna now watching the battle with interest. Yeojin laughed.

"Ha! Those two don't stand a chance," Yeojin said as Choerry smiled, hoping for the two to win as well.

**_'Commence'_ **

Elly raised both her palms and fired what seemed to be several sharp dark purple needles.

 **_Jung Haerim_ **  
**_She can fire_ ** **_several_ ** **_small but sharp needles from her hands._ ** **_They're_ ** **_weak_ ** **_in_ ** **_power but make up_ ** **_for_ ** **_it in numbers_ **

_**Power- 5** _

_**Speed- 3** _

_**Defence- 4** _

_**Medical- 1** _

_**Skill- 5** _

_**Range- 6** _

_**Overall Level- 4** _

Meanwhile, what seemed to be a bright blue orb of energy formed in Yoojung's hand. She threw it towards Sooyoung, who rolled out the way, dodging it as it exploded in a burst of blue fire.

 **_Choi Yoojung_ **  
**_She can throw blue orbs of_ ** **_energy_ ** **_for long_ ** **_distances_ ** **_. They explode and act as long-range bombs._ **

_**Power- 7** _

_**Speed- 3** _

_**Defence- 6** _

_**Medical- 1** _

_**Skill- 8** _

_**Range- 8** _

_**Overall Level- 5.5** _

Wind seemed to spin around Jiwoo in a whirlwind-like fashion. Once the needles reached her, they were only caught up in the whirlwind, spinning within it. Elly's eyes widened. She then moved her palms upwards as she fired into the sky.

 _**Kim Jiwoo** _  
_**She can** _ _**manipulate** _ _**the** _ _**wind** _ _**to** _ _**create** _ _**powerful** _ _**whirlwind** _ _**and** _ _**tornadoes** _ _**. She can also create pressurised air blasts or sharp blades of wind.** _

_**Power- 7** _

_**Speed- 8** _

_**Defence- 4** _

_**Medical- 2** _

_**Skill- 7** _

_**Range- 8** _

_**Overall Level- 6** _

"Ha! What is she doing?" Chaewon called out. Olivia bit her lip,

"Planning ahead,"

"Huh?" Chaewon said, but before she could get a reply several needles fired down. Jiwoo's whirlwind hadn't protected her from above so they pelleted down onto her. She held up her arms to protect her face as several small needles pierced her skin and several small dots of blood appeared. She fell to one knee, the whirlwind getting stronger and still trying to protect her.

Meanwhile, Sooyoung was continuing to dodge past Yoojung's orbs. At her feet, with each jump was a small burgundy shockwave.

 _**Ha Sooyoung** _  
_**She can create shockwaves made from concussive force. These can be used to push** _ _**opponents** _ _**back or boost** _ _**her** _ _**strength** _ _**. She can even cause tremors to run** _ _**across** _ _**the** _ _**ground** _ _**.** _

_**Power- 8** _

_**Speed- 7** _

_**Defence- 3** _

_**Medical- 3** _

_**Skill- 7** _

_**Range- 6** _

_**Overall Level- 6** _

Sooyoung jumped upwards, a shockwave propelling her, as she raised her arm. Burgundy waves could be seen running across it as she threw her clenched fist towards Yoojung who put up a blue orb in front of it. The orb detonated and sent both Yoojung and Sooyoung back several feet. As Sooyoung stood up, Elly moved her palm and fired several needles her way as the taller girl's side was hit.

Sooyoung cursed out in pain as Yoojung charged up another orb and fired it, sending Sooyoung several feet and on the floor.

"Holy fuck! How are they doing so well?" Yeojin said, confused. Hyunjin crossed her arms,

"It doesn't matter how high your level is- those stats of yours are important," Yeojin nodded.

"You seem to know a lot about this," Yeojin commented as Hyunjin shrugged.

"I'm part of the school's competitive Network Battle team, I've competed against people with a level higher than mine and still won,"

Chaeryeong seemed to think as she looked back to the fight, Jiwoo looking over seeing her partner on the floor and gasping. "Yoojung's attack stat is higher than Sooyoung's defense,"

"Exactly," Hyunjin said. Choerry noticed this, her face seeming deep in thought at this knowledge.

"Those stats don't account for one thing..."

Everyone seemed to be confused as they turned to her, "What is it?"

"Jiwoo can get a little... protective," everyone looked dumbfounded as they turned back to the fight. Jiwoo, now mad at seeing her partner beaten up like this, growled as the whirlwind around her grew stronger. She began to levitate as it seemed like everything gravitated towards the powerful tornado around her. Elly looked fearful, and then she noticed.

Swirling around Jiwoo's whirlwind were several of her own needles, ones that she fired earlier or shots that she missed. Jiwoo raised her arm towards Elly, as the whirlwind disappeared from around her and surrounded Elly. Jiwoo landed safely as eyes fell back to the girl surrounded by the wind.

Several of her own needles now circled around her, cutting her skin and even piercing it before the wind dissipated. Several places on her arms, legs and body had been hit as she collapsed into the floor.

"Talk about a pincushion..." Yeojin muttered. Everyone looked back as Sooyoung stood up, despite her bloody and bruised state.

"And they forgot to account for Sooyoung's own determination," Choerry said triumphantly with a bright smile.

Sooyoung spat out blood as she wiped her mouth, the same shockwaves ran up her arms and lengths as she lunged forwards. Yoojung panicked. She tossed orbs towards the girl sprinting towards her but they were only swatted to the side or blocked- Sooyoug not caring about the blue fire that hit her.

In under a few seconds, Sooyoung was now a few metres away from Yoojung as she extended her fist. Now she was mere centimetres apart. Yoojung created one last orb to protect herself- trying to pull the same strategy from earlier. However, instead, when Sooyoung hit it, it seemed to propel back into Yoojung as she was sent several feet away.

Sooyoung was met with a large hug from Jiwoo.

"AHHH! SOOYOUNG WE WON!" Jiwoo exclaimed as Sooyoung laughed a little.

"Yeah, we did, now can someone heal us!" Sooyoung called out as Chaewon's eyes glowed an eden green.

"I got this!" She said, levitating down.

"Park Chaewon- Level 7.2," Chaeryeong said. Olivia seemed surpised.

"You can read people's levels?" Chaeryeong nodded, "Cool," Chaeryeong smiled.

 _**Park Chaewon** _  
_**She has strong psionic** _ _**abilities** _ _**. She is a** _ _**telepath** _ _**, can use telekinesis to move** _ _**objects** _ _**with her mind, levitate, view** _ _**places** _ _**from far distances, mind control others,** _ _**create** _ _**psychic** _ _**barriers and use psychic energy to heal people.** _

_**Power- 8** _

_**Speed- 7** _

_**Defense- 7** _

_**Medical- 6** _

_**Skill- 7** _

_**Range- 8** _

_**Overall Level- 7.2** _

_**Ranking in the top ten: #7** _

"Well that was fun," Yuna said, "Who's for Chinese?" But before Yuna could comment, what seemed to be the Principal's voice rang through their heads. Lunch was now over. Yuna sighed but Chaeryeong patted her back.

"Its alright, we both have Professor Eunji next and she let's people eat during lessons if they haven't eaten their lunch," Yuna smiled as the two walked to their lessons.

Meanwhile, Choerry looked down to see Chaewon's hands glowing as the wounds on both Jiwoo and Sooyoung disappeared. She watched as Elly and Yoojung limped over, Sooyoung letting out an awkward laugh as Chaewon walked over to heal the other two. She smiled at seeing her friend's kind interactions. She reminded herself ' _I have such amazing friends, they help_ _anyone_ _whenever they can,'_ she thought to herself but her mind wandered back to her interactions with Seungha earlier. She sighed upon remembering, still a small part of her hoping the cold girl would still want to be her friend. She began to walk down the corridors and to her next lesson.

Yeojin also left the arena and noticed her friend looking down. She walked up to the girl, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Choerry smiled as Yeojin sighed.

"You do know you don't _h_ _ave_ to smile, you can just tell us whenever something is up," her friend told her as Choerry simply sighed, "Let me guess, what Miss Zero said earlier still has you thinking? Why? No offense, it's not the first time your overly happy attitude has put people off," Choerry facepalmed, "Sorry, not helping,"

She sighed, "It's not just that though, if people don't want to be my friend it's usually because they also don't like me, plus they usually like to remind me about how much I annoy them. Meanwhile, Seungha... it just seems like something is off. Like, she wants to be my friend or likes me, but forces herself not to,"

"That girl is an enigma... I don't wanna be too patronising, but hey, if anyone can get her to break, it's you," Yeojin said as Choerry smiled.

"Thanks," Meanwhile Yuna has overheard this all. She herself groaned to herself. Contrary to what everyone thought, she wasn't that oblivious. Her sister was a cold person. She even gave her own sisters the cold shoulder on occasion. She could easily tell people were scared of her sister. For what reason, she had no idea. But she was going to find out.

=======

Yuna watches from behind a bookshelf. Her lessons had ended a while ago so she decided to stay back and watch her older sister. She needs to confront her. Bring up what she heard. Of course, she had the issue of having no idea how to actually bring it up. She contemplated for a while before biting the bullet and walking up to her sister.

"Hey sis," Yuna said cheerily as Seungha merely muttered out a 'hi' in response in the coldest and most nonchalant voice she could.

"So, I had an alright day today, pretty fun," Yuna thought maybe she could start a conversation.

"Mhm,"

"And to be honest, Choerry is a really nice person, I can see why you chose her," she also thought maybe bringing her up would cause her sister to pay attention.

"Mhm," another empty response.

"So... what are you doing?"

"Mhm," her sister said as Yuna rolled her eyes, "Are you even listening?"

"M-"

"I swear, if you say 'mHm' one more time-" the younger girl snapped frustratedly as Seungha looked up, a little surpised but her calm expression remaining, "Well hey, at least now you're paying attention," Yuna huffed and Seungha sighed.

"What is it?" Seungha asked as Yuna groaned.

"Seriously?" Seungha shrugged as she turned her attention back to her book, "Why is everyone scared of you?"

Seungha shrugged again, "Why shouldn't they be? I'm the strongest one here,"

"That doesn't mean they _have_ to fear you," Yuna said, "I've seen you when you aren't this icy cold person, you're a really nice person and you stand up for the weak. But recently... you've been so cold, to everyone, including me," Yuna's voice trailed off at that last part, causing Seungha's cold expression to soften slightly. Yuna shook her head and focused back onto Seungha,

"Look, Yuna-"

"No, YOU look, you need friends. You can't just be this cold person, why did you even turn away Choerry? She's a great person, you trusted her enough to take care of me for my first day,"

' _How did she know?'_ Seungha thought to herself as Yuna sighed, "Just give her a chance, she was really down the entire day because of you,"

"She was?" Seungha asked as Yuna nodded. Seungha tried not to show it, but a small part of her was slightly concerned. Of course, she wanted Choerry to stay away from her. So why did it bother her so that she was staying away from her?

Yuna then asked Seungha a question. "Why does everyone have to be scared of you? It's not just because you're the strongest, you're making them scared of you. You're pushing them away. Why?"

Seungha stayed silent. Yuna looked down, "...Can't you at least tell me?"

Seungha remained quiet. "If you can't even tell your own sisters what your problem is, why should I care..." she said as she walked off, dejected and looking slightly disappointed. Seungha looked up, seemed as if they caused a scene. The moment she looked up, anyone watching turned away, trying not to meet their gaze. Yuna's words stuck with her.

 _You're_ _making them scared of you..._

Why did their fearful looks of her hurt?

 _You're_ _pushing_ _them away..._

Why did the thought of her ruining someone's mood now plague her thoughts?

 _Why_ _did_ _you_ _turn_ _away Choerry?_

Why did she? Choerry was kind, nice and trustworthy. So why did Seungha?

_Because, she made me smile._

=======

The table was silent. It had been a while since both Seungha and Yuna had returned from school. Yongsun remained quiet as her eyes darted between both siblings who were now staring at each other. The air was tense, awkward and almost suffocating. They both ate their lunches, not even breaking eye-contact. Yongsun coughed and spoke up.

"So... Ryujin went back to her dorm," she said, hoping for the two to break the staring contest and speak up.

"Yep.." they both said, not breaking eye-contact.

"I think it's sweet, living with her girlfriend like that," now that had gotten Seungha's attention.

"She has what?"

"Why does that not surprise me- you not knowing anything about the sister that actually went to your school..." Yuna muttered as Seungha glared back and Yongsun rolled her eyes.

"Okay, can someone please tell me what's going on?" She said frustratedly as Seungha sighed.

"Look, it's nothing, just-"

"Is it nothing?" Yuna asked as Seungha scoffed.

"You don't have to make such a big deal out of it you know," she muttered, looking away as Yuna looked back to Yongsun.

"I called Seungha out for her attitude towards others," Yongsun nodded in understanding and looked back to her old friend with a questioning look that Seungha avoided. Yongsun sighed- she didn't blame Yuna. Seungha was fairly cold to everyone around her. She only questioned what made Yuna blow up at her sister. Who in particular did she upset?

"Again- I don't see the problem," Seungha said as it was Yuna's turn to scoff. Yongsun realised that now it seemed as if an argument was about to occur.

"Really? It doesn't bother you at all that everyone is scared of you? You literally have no other friends other than Yongsun and she doesn't even go to our school!" Yuna yelled back as Seungha chuckled. Her friend looked fearful at the other girl, about to say a warning but Seungha ignored and spoke over her.

"Oh what- as if you have hundreds of friends? Do you even remember why we had to make you move schools?" Yuna looked shocked and looked down. Seungha's expression softened and an awkward silence had no replaced the previously tense air.

"Yeah... I do..." Yuna muttered as Seungha looked at the floor guiltily, "Do you remember how you acted that day?"

Seungha remained quiet. Yongsun looked to the youngest girl to see what she was about to say.

"You... you helped me. You took care of me. You were protective of me. You made sure you didn't leave me alone. You made sure I wouldn't be hurt. You helped cheer me up. You were being kind, nice and gentle. You were being warm," Yuna began as Seungha sighed.

"Yuna, I-"

"You don't have to push everyone away. You don't have to be cold to everyone. It's fine to have friends. It's fine to let people close to you. It's okay to not keep up this cold front. You're allowed to smile and have fun," Yuna's voice was now soft, she was no longer angry or frustrated. Yongsun noted this was one of the few times Seungha didn't have a blank look, her face wasn't frozen without expression.

"I know you might think... that because you don't always treat me the same way you treat everyone, as if that's enough... but it isn't... you're still quiet and cold. You still don't talk to me. I still don't know a lot about you and vice versa. It sometimes feels awkward to talk to you... and I don't like that," She muttered as Seungha nodded.

"Please... I don't care how long it takes but... I want my sister back..." Seungha bit her lip. Hearing Yuna sound so quiet, so soft, so defeated... it hurt her. It hurt knowing that even her own sister wasn't entirely comfortable around her.

"I... I might move to a dorm," Yuna said as Seungha looked up in surprise.

"You're... what?"

"I- You need space a-and I don't think it's worth pushing you, this is to give us both enough space. So... yeah," Yuna said as she quietly walked up the stairs, leaving the older two to themselves and both were left speechless.

"Yongsun... Solar..." Seungha said, her own voice quiet and weak. The tone was disarming to Yongsun, and hearing her friend say that nickname, one she hadn't heard in years was enough to make her look at Seungha with a caring expression.

"Yeah?" She asked as Seungha looked down to the floor again.

"Am I... am I cold? Am I too rude? Is... is Yuna right?"

Yongsun looked at her friend with a sigh. As much as she didn't want to tell her friend that she was 'cold' or 'rude' and ruin her mood, even more, she didn't want to lie to her either. Yuna had made a good point. Yongsun didn't know how, but her friend was cold and distant. Hearing that nickname alone brought back so many memories and an idea of a different Seungha from the past.

"I think... you know the answer," Yongsun said, looking away as Seungha slowly nodded and stood up.

"I'm... gonna go get some fresh air," she said as she walked towards the door.

"Okay... don't be out too late! And if I'm asleep, order some takeaway! And be careful!" She yelled back as Seungha walked out the door without a word. She sighed to herself and looked towards the stairs. She didn't know what happened between them, but Yuna moving to Seungha's school has caused a change. Whether it'd be a good or a bad one, was something Yongsun didn't know the answer to herself.

=======

"And then he was all 'I can't kick your ass without getting any closer' and I WAS FREAKING OUT!" Heejin said to her girlfriend who merely nodded in response.

"Wow that's great Heejinnie," Ryujin muttered as her eyes remained glued to her phone.

 _**Network** _ _**Battle Squad** _

**_Yeji:_ ** _Yo, tell me you have a plan_

 _ **Tzuyu:**_ _Yeah, we're up against Paradise Academy soon,_ _apparently_ _one of_ _their_ _students_ _used to be affiliated with Seungha._

 _**Ryujin:** _ _If_ _you're_ _talking about Yongsun then_ _don't_ _worry, she_ _isn't_ _a part of their_ _team_

 _**Ryujin:** _ _her girlfriend is tho_

 _**Chae:** _ _Yo_ _speaking_ _of girlfriends, bro_ _aren't_ _you on a date right now?_

Ryujin looked up and saw Heejin with a raised eyebrow. "Really?"

"Oh- oh shoot, I'm sorry babe," she said, putting away her phone as Heejin sighed.

"It's alright, you're busy," she said, looking down to her cup of iced tea as she stirred it with the straw. Ryujin sighed and took her girlfriend's hands. Heejin looked up and locked eyes with her girlfriend.

"Look, I'm sorry, you're more important than any of that,"

"Really?" Heejin asked as Ryujin smiled and nodded. Heejin then smiled.

"Well... wanna hear about how I've recently ranked up?" Heejin asked as Ryujin nodded.

"Really?" She asked as Heejin nodded excitedly and they both began talking.

Meanwhile, a few tables away, Hyunjin sat opposite another girl.

"Bora... it's not just me, right?" She asked as her friend nodded.

"Yeah, I see what you mean now. Ryujin is so busy and Heejin is really trying, hell look, you can see that Ryujin probably want to check her phone again,"

"I get that she's busy, she is our leader after all. And with the Inter-School network battles coming up, she's going to have a hectic schedule. But still... can't she at least try or talk?" Hyunjin muttered as Bora looked to her.

"Sounds like someone is jealous," she muttered as Hyunjin sighed.

"Sure, maybe I am a little. I don't wanna sound selfish, y'know? But I can't stop thinking about it,"

"You still help the two out though? Ryujin's mentioned how you've helped her out with gifts and other things," Bora asked as Hyunjin bit her lip.

"I may like Heejin but I'm not gonna let that ruin their friendship. I've accepted that I'm probably not gonna get a chance, might as well help the two out..." Hyunjin said, "Besides... I'm used to just watching,"

Bora sighed at her friend, "You really need a date,"

"Maybe, but there's only one person in my heart," Hyunjin grinned back as Bora fake gagged.

"God, you are so cheesy,"

"Anyways, how are you and your gf?" Hyunjin asked with a raised eyebrow and Bora laughed a little.

"Siyeon is doing just fine," she mentioned.

"Honestly, so happy that you finally asked her out," Hyunjin said.

"Yeah well, only because _someone_ kept encouraging me," She said as Hyunjin rolled her eyes, "I owe a lot of thanks to you,"

"I mean anyone would've done it, you two were practically dating before you even confessed,"

"Don't discredit yourself, you were still there for us," She said as her phone went off. She chuckled and looked to her friend, "Looks like Siyeon is calling," she answered and began speaking. Meanwhile, Hyunjin looked back and saw a scene she'd seen over thousands of times now from just watching. Heejin trying to passionately keep the conversation up as Ryujin was dispassionately replying.

The same scene she's seen again and again. She knows Ryujin isn't a bad person, they've been friends for years. She knows it isn't her fault. But a small part of herself still feels hurt over it. Over how little attention Heejin was getting despite trying so hard to keep the conversation alive. Part of her wants to walk over, a selfish desire wants her to walk over and call her friend out. A selfish desire to try and make Heejin hers. A selfish desire to try and sabotage them.

But she knows she's better than that. She hates that desire. She loves Heejin, but at the same time, she's fine with just being friends. And as her friend, she has to help them both out as much as she can. As much as she realises she could ruin their relationship, she knows she is better than that.

Bora tapped her friend on the shoulder as Hyunjin looked up, "I have to go now, Siyeon needs some help, don't get too lonely," she said as Hyunjin nodded.

"Oh, bye then," Hyunjin said as her friend walked out the café door. Hyunjin sighed to herself as she was left alone. Left alone to just watch her two closest friends dating, her left beside herself with her feelings swallowed and kept inside, tearing her up from the inside out.

But it was fine, to Hyunjin. No, it didn't hurt, she told herself. She was always used to just watching.

=======

Choerry walked into her dorm room. She saw both Jinsoul and Jungeun laughing and smiling at each other. She smiled upon seeing the couple happy. These little moments helped to make her day all the more enjoyable. Especially after today... she felt as if she owed the two an apology.

"Hello..." she muttered with a small smile as the two turned around.

"Hey, there kiddo!" Jinsoul said as Jungeun hit her arm.

"Come on- she's not that much younger than you," She said as Choerry sat down on the couch between the two

"Actually, I don't mind it that much," She beamed, smiling at the two of them who smiled in return, "And... I wanna say something," the couple shared a look before nodding, signalling Choerry to continue.

"Well... I'm sorry," She said, sighing as a worried expression formed on their faces.

"...For what?" Jinsoul asked as Choerry looked down.

"Well... maybe you were right, maybe Seungha is just not that type of person," she muttered as Jungeun put an arm around her. She looked to Jinsoul who shared her concerned expression. She mouther _'Did we do this?'_ As Jinsoul shrugged her shoulders. Jungeun sighed as Choerry looked up.

"Actually, I..." She bit her lip before continuing, "I wanted to say sorry too... look, Choerry, I feel like... that maybe I doubted you too soon. Maybe I should've had more faith in you. If anyone can make her crack it would be you," she said as Choerry looked down again.

"Everyone keeps saying that but... is it even true?" She said frustratedly, "It's almost insane- I'm a normal person, I can't just make everyone smile,"

"You kinda can," Jinsoul said, wrapping an arm around the girl as well, "You're a good person Choerry, you can see the best in everyone, I don't doubt for a second that she did smile,"

"...I did see her smile," Choerry mentioned, "But it looked like she didn't like that, that she didn't want to smile,"

Jinsoul nodded and looked to Jungeun before speaking, "Well, I guess the ice queen has a few issues,"

Jungeun smiled as she looked to Choerry, "Sounds like... I don't know," a small look of excitement could be seen for a second as Choerry had a confused expression, wondering where Jungeun was taking this, "...Maybe she could use a friend to help her?"

"Are you guys saying that... it's worth another shot?" Choerry asked as the two nodded. The younger girl showed a genuine smile as the three shared a group hug. Choerry could feel her heart jumping, it had been a long time since they all felt so close.

"How about we head out for today? Pizza?" Jungeun asked as the other two nodded excitedly. Choerry jumped up to go get ready as the other two chuckled at the younger's antics.

The air was then quiet. The two looked away for a bit. Jungeun rubbed her arm as Jinsoul put both her hands in her jean pockets. Then, slowly, she let one hand out and wrapped it around Jungeun's shoulder. Jungeun smiled and pulled herself closer to Jinsoul and rested her head against the older girl.

=======

Chaeryeong and Lia were both in their dorm. Chaeryeong was quietly making notes as Lia was busy reading a book of some kind. They were quiet as Lia then spoke up.

"So... what do you think of that Yuna girl?" She asked as Chaeryeong stopped for a moment.

"She's... nice," Lia smiled upon hearing this as the two went back to silence. They heard the door open as Hyunjin walked in, neither moving and just continuing with whatever they were doing.

"Back from Network practice?"

"Yep..." she said, a hint of sadness in her voice that the other girl picked up on.

"What is it?" Lia asked as Hyunjin sighed. Chaeryeong turned around in her swivel chair and looked, now paying attention.

"You're really good at reading people Lia," Hyunjin chuckled slightly as the melancholic look soon returned.

"What's the problem?" Chaeryeong asked.

"I'm... leaving,"

"Leaving? Leaving where?" Lia asked.

"Just... to a different dorm," Chaeryeong looked down.

"We... didn't so something wrong, did we?"

"Oh- No no no!" Hyunjin hurried, "Its...it's me, we're all still cool with each other and we're all still friends and we're all still gonna hang out, it's just-" Hyunjin paused and sighed, "-It's just I need some space, not from you just... in general. Everything feels so... so hectic now and I need some space for myself," She admitted as her shoulders slumped.

Lia got up. Between her and Hyunjin, not a lot was different. They were almost the same height, a few months apart in age. She wrapped her arms around the other girl who quickly reciprocated the hug.

"Take as much time as you need, I am all for you getting the personal space you need and I'm willing to help provide that. Just know, we're here in case you ever need us," She said as she could feel Hyunjin nod. Chaeryeong got up and looked to the two. They opened up the hug and shared a group hug.

"Honestly, we're lucky the school dorms are this flexible in terms of room management, asking for a new room and you got one the next day," Hyunjin commented.

"Well that's what you get when you have an all-powerful telepath as your principal," Chaeryeong replied, "Management is a breeze,"

"Still... it'll be quiet without you," Lia said as Hyunjin chuckled.

"You'll be fine, who knows, someone may end up crashing in here soon,"

",Well I doubt they could just replace you," Chaeryeong sighed.

An idea sprung into Hyunjin's head, "How about we all head out for the night. There's this really good food joint down a few blocks away. It can be my treat?" She asked as the other two nodded.

"Sounds like a plan," Lia smiled.

=======

Yuna was quiet in her room. She spent her time playing with her Nintendo Switch Seungha got her after the incident back at her old school in a futile attempt to take her mind off of the argument earlier. No matter how many times she beat a level, no matter how many CPU's she beat, no matter how many times she lost a racing game- she felt dejected and frustrated. Her mind wandered back to what she said.

_"I... I might move to a dorm,"_

_'Ugh! Why did I say that?! I didn't even mean it!_ ' Yuna said, her face in her hands.

_'But... should I?'_

Yuna remembered her own reasoning for it.

_You need space, and I don't think it's worth pushing you, this is to give us both enough space_

_'We both need space, we both need enough of it to feel better. Maybe this... this will push Seungha to be better. At least I hope it does.'_

There was also the benefit of giving Yongsun less work, she mused herself with that thought.

She then decided. She pulled out her phone and dialled Namjoon's number as she heard his voice on the other line.

"Yuna?"

"Hey... I was wondering... could it... be possible to move me to a dorm?" She asked with a hint of nervousness to her voice.

There was silence but she got a reply, "Yes..." he said, but his professional persona dropping with his next question, "...but why? Are things not going well over there?" He asked with a hint of concern.

"Well..." she sighed, "Me and Seungha... has a bit of an argument... and I realised she needs some space. We both do. And I'm asking you to help me with that. I wanna move into a dorm,"

"...One condition," Yuna's eyebrows raised but she told him to continue.

"...can you promise me you'll both work through the issues? I don't want this turning into another Ryujin situation where you leave and nothing changes,"

Yuna sighed, "Of course, and you know Ryujin left for a different reason. She's always had problems with authority, whether it was our parents or I guess more recently Seungha, she means well,"

"I know, can't help but feel a little bothered all that did was pull the two, even more, apart," she heard him mutter. The two shared a sigh as he spoke again.

"I have a new dorm space opened up actually, I'll move you into there, but are you sure? You... you remember why you moved schools in the first place right?"

Yuna bit her lip and didn't answer, "Right... of course you do... sorry for bringing it up...you can pack tonight and move in tomorrow when you have the free time,"

She ended the call and sighed as she lied back down on her bed. She looked to her clock. It was getting late. She decided to start packing now and get some rest. But still, the back of her mind focused on one thing.

Seungha still wasn't home.

=======

"-and then she _somehow did it?_ How? Honestly, Yeji is really confusing," Lia continued to talk about a project she was recently assigned to and apparently her partner was an interesting individual.

"Honestly, I think someone turning a chicken wing into wine is more than confusing," Hyunjin laughed as Chaeryeong smiled, drinking her milkshake through her straw. Lia continued with more of her stories as Hyunjin laughed along and Chaeryeong chimed in occasionally.

"Well, how are things with the Battle Network Team?" Lia asked as Hyunjin sighed contently.

"Good, we're going up against Paradise academy soon," She mentioned as Lia nodded.

"Don't Yongsun and her friends go there?" Lia asked as both Chaeryeong and Hyunjin nodded. The younger of the three then spoke up.

"I know the Team has got this one. Paradise Academy may be tough, but we're tougher,"

"Spoken like a true student, honestly, would be pretty cool to have you on the team. You would know their abilities and we could come up with some awesome strategies," Hyunjin commented as Chaeryeong sighed.

"You know I'm too weak for that. My abilities aren't offensive and my level is pretty low," Hyunjin rubbed Chaeryeong's back.

"You give yourself too little credit, you're awesome. Those levels don't matter. People need to take you more seriously, considering you would know their ' _oh so powerful'_ abilities from just one look," Chaeryeong smiled at Hyunjin's pep-talk but found herself frowning again.

"Doesn't really matter when you realise I can't do anything about it..." Chaeryeong looked away, out of the window that was beside their table. She looked through and saw many groups of people walking around this bustling night and found their levels appearing in her mind.

_'3.9... 4.2... 4.3... 5... even these random strangers are stronger than me...'_

Hyunjin sighed at the sight of her friend like this. Lia gave a sympathetic look towards the girl. Realising the air was now tense, Lia looked for anything they could change the topic too.

"So... I've kinda went down in the ranks..." she thought mentioning her recent failures in Network Battles would bring the attention away from Chaeryeong's self-doubt.

"WHAT?" Hyunjin yelled, a few other customers turning their heads. Lia specifically noticed two look there way and her eyes widened. She turned back to Hyunjin, she wasn't surprised such information elicited this kind of reaction from the girl who regularly competes against other schools and students.

"Yeah- turns out the last thing to do in a fight against Minji is to taunt her," Lia commented with a sigh. Hyunjin rolled her eyes.

"C'mon, I did warn you," She said, taking a sip from her milkshake. Chaeryeong then looked over to the two of them.

"Well, defeating her again shouldn't be too hard," Chaeryeong spoke up, resting both of her arms on the table, "You're both around the same level with you having a higher Power and Range stat,"

"Yeah," Hyunjin said, joining the conversation, "your ability is pretty powerful,"

 **Choi Jisu**  
 **She can fire beams and bolts of energy.** **Whilst** **simplistic, she has found creative ways to make her** **ability** **even** **more useful, such as** **boosting** **herself** **forward** **with** **the** **beams** **or** **create** **new** **attacks** **from** **them.**

_**Power- 8** _

_**Speed- 7** _

_**Defense- 5** _

_**Medical- 2** _

_**Skill- 7** _

_**Range- 8** _

_**Overall Level- 6.2** _

"It is, isn't it?" She said, a little pridefully, raising her nose with an almost 'holier-than-thou' attitude. It resulted in a small giggle from Chaeryeong. Lia smiled but she lowered her face and sighed.

"Her ability though- Reflection Skin- means any attack can bounce off of her. This includes my energy beams," she complained as Hyunjin thought for a second. Hyunjin looked towards Chaeryeong.

"What are her stats? Minji's?" She asked as Chaeryeong thought for a second.

"All 7 except her Range," Hyunjin thought for a second. Lia looked at the girl with a head tilt as she then moved her eyes to Chaeryeong, who seemed to be waiting with an almost excited expression. Hyunjin spoke up.

"I've got it," she said as Lia caught on.

"A plan?"

"Mhm," Hyunjin said. Lia leant closer, now being very interested in what she had to hear. "You have a higher power stat of 8- but her defence stat is only 7,"

"So? If it can deflect my attacks-"

"That means it can break," Hyunjin said, crossing her arms as Lia still seemed confused.

"What?"

"Ohhh!" Chaeryeong said as she clapped her hands, "I see where you're going with this,"

"I don't," Lia sighed as Chaeryeong smiled.

"Unless a defense stat is higher than 8, whatever is protecting them can be broken. Especially if it's a construction," Lia nodded her head.

"Okay... how does my Power Stat factor into this?"

"If you have a power stat higher than the opponent's defense stat, that means you can break through their defense," Lia sighed.

"All this nerdy-stat talk has me confused," she commented as Chaeryeong sighed and Hyunjin rolled her eyes before speaking up.

"Her shield can only take so much- enough force should break it. Not only that, but she might have a weakspot- where the shield was much weaker and much easier to break- was she trying to defend a part of her body during the fight a lot?" Now Lia was the one thinking. She snapped her fingers in realisation.

"Her back, at one point I snuck up behind her and fired a beam. She freaked out and dodged it instead of letting it reflect off. I thought it was weird and she was just caught off guard. But maybe she freaked out because I almost hit her weak point!" She looked up to the other two in excitement, "You're both geniuses! High five!"

Their hands met as they soon turned their attention back to the food.

"See," Lia said, her mouth full of food, "Coming up with plans is fun, gonna be a shame when you're gone,"

"And we still will be able to," Hyunjin said, "I'm not leaving the school, just going to a new dorm. You'll be fine, we'll all still hang out,"

"But it won't be the same," Lia whined as Chaeryeong nodded vigorously. Hyunjin laughed at the two as she saw two other people approach them. Two very familiar people.

"You're leaving their dorm? How come?" Heejin asked with concern. Hyunjin mentally began panicking, she didn't realise those two would also be here.

"Umm-" she said as Chaeryeong spoke up.

"Something has come up for her and she needs some time to herself for a while," Chaeryeong said.

Heejin nodded as Ryujin looked to the group. "We haven't ordered yet, how about we all crash together and eat together? To show you," Ryujin gestured to Hyunjin, "That we're all here for you- whatever you're going through, we'll be here to support you," she said.

"Oh," Hyunjin spoke up, "Oh- I don't wanna ruin your date or anything, please, I'm not leaving the school or anything. I think you're all making a big deal out of this-"

Ryujin slammed her hands on the table, "Leaving a dorm you've been in for years? Whatever it is, must be serious. Bro, you're letting us show our support for you whether we like it or not,"

Hyunjin looked nervously to Heejin. The last thing she wanted was to ruin her crush's date. But Heejin sat next to Hyunjin with a sweet smile, "I agree, I think it's a great idea,"

Ryujin smiled at her girlfriend as she went to go order some more food.

"Heejin, I'm sorry-"

"No, it's fine," Heejin smiled. She turned away and seemed to mutter something as Hyunjin looked to the girl worriedly. Heejin looked over and had a similar worried expression, "Oh- Oh I wasn't muttering about you itwasaboutsomethingelseimsorry-"

Hyunjin laughed a little and sighed, "It's fine, whatever has you in such a bad mood- forget it, let's just have fun,"

Heejin smiled and nodded. She thought back to what she muttered.

 _"Besides,_ _I'd_ _much_ _rather spend_ _time_ _here than on that lifeless date_ _where_ _we_ _weren't_ _even_ _talking_ _..."_

Did she mean that? Did she really want to spend more time with Hyunjin and her friends than on a date with Ryujin? She thought for a second, before deciding to heed Hyunjin's advice. She could think this over later, right now, she needed some food and fun conversation.

=======

Choerry skipped ahead as Jungeun sighed. Jinsoul looked to her girlfriend, who clinging onto the taller girl's arm, and smiled. Jungeun looked up and smiled back, resting her head against her shoulder. They all decided to go for a quick walk through the park before heading out to eat. Choerry was skipping, her hair bouncing in the chilly winds. As she did, she saw a bench up ahead. She decided to take a rest and walked over. That's when she saw her.

Was that Seungha? She thought to herself about the possibility of meeting the cold girl here. Now she was having doubts, should she walk over there? What if she didn't want her there? But, her thoughts wandered back. Wandering back to how people had reminded her- she was Choerry. She decided against leaving her and walked up to her.

Her expression caught her off guard. She seemed... sad, almost. She looked down and didn't even have her usual stoic face on. It even looked... had she been crying? She decided to stop observing and just walk over. She sat down next to her as she saw both Jinsoul and Jungeun shoot concerned looks.

"Leave me alone, I'm not in a good mood," The cold girl shot out as Choerry simply smiled.

"Sounds like you need a hug," She extended her arms, "Want one?"

Seungha looked up and turned her head. Choerry raised her arms, still asking about the hug. Seungha spoke up, "Choerry?"

She dropped her arms, "The one and only!"

Choerry wasn't the best at reading people. Especially Seungha. Yet, she felt like she could tell the girl was scared. She decided to go in for the hug, regardless of what the girl said. To say Seungha was taken aback was an understatement.

"Umm... Choerry- I- I didn't ask for this," she stammered out as Choerry held on.

"I don't care, I sense you need this," Seungha gave up arguing and let the hug stay. For some reason, it felt warm and welcoming. She sighed to herself and let her shoulders droop and stopped tensing her arms so much.

"Maybe I did need this," she muttered as she thought back to her arguement with Yuna. She sighed. She pulled back from the hug. She lowered Choerry's arms and held onto them. Choerry have Seungha her full attention.

"Choerry... I'm sorry," she said as Choerry's eyes widened slightly. She wasn't really expecting an apology from Seungha. But she was happy. "What I said... I-I didn't mean it, sorta. I don't hate you and I..." she seemed to pause for a moment as Choerry whined.

"Finish it!"

"...I wouldn't mind you as a friend," Choerry let out a high pitched, excited squeal as Seungha cringed slightly, and continued speaking, "You're a good person and cared about what was happening. Truth be told, I guess I am going through some stuff... and because of it, I had an argument with Yuna and she's moving into a dorm and is also very mad at me,"

Choerry seemed almost impressed, getting someone as positive as Yuna mad at you had to be a difficult feat. But she refocused back onto Seungha.

"I... I think I might need a friend, I need to change to become a better person... Yuna made that clear enough... maybe you don't want to be that person who becomes my friend anymore but-"

"I would love to!" Choerry said as Seungha looked surprised. "Sure, you said some mean stuff, but you clearly had something else going on. And if you want that fixed, then maybe you should have some friends to help you. And I would gladly be that friend!"

Seungha smiled. And for once, Jinsoul and Jungeun saw it as they walked closer. Seungha saw the two and saw Jungeun. The two nodded at each other as Jinsoul smiled.

"Jungeun,"

"Seungha,"

Seungha sent a concerned look, "You're not mad about the time I-"

"Beat me in a fight and completely embarrassed me with your cold dismissal of my abilities?" Seungha cringed, but was surprised when Jungeun gave a smile. "Yeah, I've had enough time to get over it,"

"Hey Seungha- we met in the restrooms one time- right?" Jinsoul asked.

"Yeah... I kinda froze you though. Sorry about that..." she said as Jinsoul laughed a little.

"Nah it's fine, you apologise a lot," Jinsoul said as Jungeun hit her arm. Seungha now laughed a little, surprising them all.

"Well you guys are very forgiving people,"

"Well," Choerry began, "If you really want to change, it's only fair we let you. Now, best friend," Seungha decided against protesting against the title, "You look lonely. Want to join us as we go eat?"

Seungha looked to the other two, "I don't know, I don't wanna impose-"

"Nope, you're coming with," Jungeun said as Jinsoul smiled, "Even I can't stand seeing you look so sad out here, come with us, the more the merrier,"

"Besides," Jinsoul said, "I need to see that smile again," she said, pointing her finger ar the girl, "It's a damn good smile and you should smile more often,"

"That's what I said! Come on Seungha- I'm gonna make my new friend find and love their smile tonight!" She claimed as she grabbed Seungha's arm and stood up. As they all walked over to the restaurant, Seungha found herself involuntarily smiling at Choerry's vast amount of stories to tell. Maybe she did need to make friends. Maybe it wasn't so bad to let people see her smile. Maybe she should stop letting everyone fear her.

She found her hand staying glued to Choerry's. She decided to take that as a sign, a sign that she should also stick to Choerry, maybe the girl shouldn't reject the happy, cheery girl and let her become her first friend outside of Yongsun.

Screw it.

She was _definitely_ going to stay by Choerry if it meant becoming a better person. Yuna was right. It was about time she threw away the cold persona she clung to all these years. It felt good to smile. Maybe she wouldn't be smiling all the time, but smiling around Choerry was a good start.

Seungha was going to change- and Choerry was now her first new friend.

=======

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOP and there is the new chapter. A lot happened, wouldn't you say? Is Seungha finally giving Choerry a chance? What's up with Hyunjin, Ryujin and Heejin? And Chaeryeong and Yuna seem to be getting along well. Once again, please please PLEASE comment ^^ I love reading comments so please, don't feel shy. 
> 
> Once again, hoped you all enjoyed this chapter ^^


	3. Arctic Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So- here is the third chapter for CrossFire! This one took a while to write! Probably going to be one of the longest chapters yet, so pull up a chair and have a seat as we begin the third chapter of the story of Shin Seungha. Again, please leave a detailed comment as those give me plenty of inspiration and motivation to continue this little hobby of mine.

Seungha awoke to the sharp blare of her alarm clock. Groggily, she groaned and slammed her hand on top of it to turn it off. She sighed and walked over to the bathroom. She saw her reflection and laughed a little. Messy hair, tired eyes. When people see her this is the last thing they would think of. As she began her routine, she looked to into the mirror again. She smiled and felt a warm feeling inside.

"I like this..." she muttered to herself. She decided to make the smile smaller, she wasn't totally comfortable yet but did feel far better than whenever she was scowling.

Time had passed and she was walking down the stairs, smile still there. She saw Yongsun give her own grin.

"Someone's happy this morning, what happened last night? I thought you would be super sad but you seemed way happier than usual," she asked with a curious look.

Seungha sighed contently, "Let's just say, maybe I needed Yuna to yell at me," Yongsun looked concerned.

"I know... things have been rough recently," Seungha began, Yongsun listening to every word, "And that I- haven't been the best... oh who am I kidding- I've been the worst,"

"No-" Yongsun tried to interrupt but was cut off.

"-Yes, I have been. And... Yuna had every right to feel mad. I wasn't being a good sister and I wasn't being a good person. It is about time I let things change. Is it scary? A little. But... this is something I want. I wanna make up for how much of a bad sister I was..."

"I wasn't any better..." Seungha heard a voice mutter. She turned around and saw Yuna on the stairs.

"Yuna, I-"

"Sis... I'm sorry," Yuna sighed.

"No no, you did nothing wrong, Seungha reassured as she walked over. She used one hand to cup Yuna's cheeks. "I needed to hear it,"

"But I could've handled it better. Instead, my sister left out into the night alone and sad... I know you're powerful but who knows what could've happened," Yuna said, "I was being a bad sister by not handling everything well enough, I could've said it better, I could've done more, but I chose to blow up at you instead..."

Seungha pulled Yuna in for a hug. Yuna thought about how despite her powers, Seungha's hugs were surprisingly warm. She rested her head against the older's shoulder and sighed.

"Don't ever say it's your fault. It's mine and mine alone. I deserved that. Not only that, but you helped me realise I needed to be better, and I'm going to try now," Yuna smiled, "And I may or may not have given Choerry a chance-"

Yuna gasped, "REALLY?"

Seungha winced but smiled, "Yep,"

Yuna practically screeched as Yongsun walked over, laughing a little, "We can talk about Seungha's amazing new friends later. How about you eat your breakfast and go. You have a new dorm to move into soon," Yuna nodded and dashed over to the pancakes. Seungha smiled and sat down in her seat and ate. She had to admit, smiling, talking and just having a normal conversation with Yuna and Yongsun was far more enjoyable than she expected.

=======

Ryujin lay asleep, sprawled across the couch she and Heejin shared in their dorm. Her arms were outstretched, Heejin on top of her. The girl had her arms loosely wrapped around the other's neck, her head resting against the other's chest, both of them soundly asleep. Until a hard knock could be heard at their dorms. Heejin's eyes groggily opened.

"Hey! Guys! It's me!" A voice could be heard as Heejin's eyes widened. She clambered off of Ryujin and rushed to her room. Ryujin, now awoken by the sudden movement, fell off the couch and groaned loudly.

"You guys alright?" The same voice asked. Ryujin rolled her eyes and walked over to the door, opening it. "Hi, Ryujin!"

"Hey Haseul," Ryujin yawned as Haseul smiled. "I was asleep,"

"And I am ready for the day!" Heejin beamed, now properly dressed and her bag slung over her shoulder.

"Nice," Ryujin commented, yawning again. "Well, I'm gonna go get ready, you go on ahead with your friends," Heejin nodded and kissed her girlfriend on the cheek and walked off with Haseul.

"So... where's Vivi?" Heejin asked.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be here soon," Haseul smiled as Heejin grinned.

"So, how are things with you two? Anything happened yet?" She asked as Haseul's face went pink as she began to stammer.

"W-what could you possible m-mean? W-we're doing just great, a-a good pair of f-friends having a grand old time!"

Heejin giggled, "You aren't really good at hiding it, you aren't even subtle. I'm sure a lot of people know you're crushing on her," Heejin said as Haseul's face went a darker pink as she awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck.

"Crushing on who?" A girl asked as she walked over. Haseul seemed to panic again.

"N-no one! Heejin was just joking around, you know?" Haseul said as Heejin rolled her eyes. The girl went 'oh' and smiled.

"Anyways, how are you Vivi?" Heejin asked as Vivi smiled.

"I'm doing great, thanks for asking," She replied as she looked to Haseul who went pink again. "Sorry for taking so long back at the dorm, my arm was acting up again," she said, pointing to her left arm which had a glove whereas her other hand did not.

"Oh no, I understand," Haseul said, smiling. Her heart always warmed whenever she heard the other girl speak to her. You'd think the other would pick up on her feelings by now, but somehow Vivi was completely oblivious to Haseul's oh-so-obvious attraction. They soon heard a fourth voice join them.

"Before anyone is about to ask, living in a single dorm is a lot better than I expected," Hyunjin said, "No one can judge me for eating so much bread!"

"You should slow down though-" Hyunjin cut Heejin off by placing a finger on her mouth. Heejin's face noticeably went pink, something Vivi noticed.

"For your own sake, I am now going to speak on your behalf. You, Jeon Heejin, have taken that statement back, you have said bread is the best thing ever, and you have said I, Kim Hyunjin, am the best," Hyunjin said as Heejin laughed a little. She retraced her finger and smiled.

"You know I'd say that last part anyway," Hyunjin seemed to appear really happy at that.

"C'mon, we have to head to hell- I mean class," She said as Heejin giggled.

"Alright, let's go," She said as the four walked ahead. Haseul sighed as the other three looked over in concern.

"What?" She asked, a little confused.

"You sighed, we're just a little worried is all," Vivi said as the other two nodded. Haseul looked away and smiled.

"I just missed seeing you guys," She reminisced, "It's been a while since I've seen Hyunjin and Heejin. Heejin, you've been so busy with Ryujin lately, so I haven't seen you a lot. And Hyunjin? You've kinda been avoiding us these past few days, what's up with that?" Haseul asked as the other two looked over. Hyunjin seemed surprised.

"I'm fine- just needed some alone time," she said, looking away. Something was clearly bothering her.

"Hey," Heejin began, taking the girl's hand. "We're your friend dumb-dumb. We're here for you if you ever need us. You worried me when you were avoiding us. Don't do it again, you can always speak to me if you need to," she said as Hyunjin's face went pink. She looked away.

"Thanks," she said as Heejin smiled. They continued to walk to class. Vivi noted the concern Heejin showed. She also looked to Hyunjin's blushing, but happy face. She smiled to herself but noted she needed to speak to Hyunjin later.

Hyunjin was always secretive about her own problems, but always ready to help the others. A while ago she had told Hyunjin a secret, and Hyunjin had kept quiet and let the girl talk whenever she needed someone to talk to. And now, Vivi wished to repay that kindness by letting Hyunjin talk about something that she may have figured out, and it's something Hyunjin may not be able to tell Heejin.

=======

The day had just begun and things were a little hectic in the morning. Hyunjin had actually moved in late last night, earlier than they expected but they said their goodbyes. Meanwhile, Lia had earlier rushed to eat her breakfast and hurry off somewhere. And Chaeryeong was now by herself at the dorm, studying for a test that was to be her first lesson of the day. She smiled to herself, she would nail it. She then heard a knock.

Strange, she thought to herself, no one else was supposed to be coming here today. Maybe it was Lia already back, but she had the key to the dorm. Maybe it was one of Hyunjin's friends who hadn't realised she had moved dorms. Or maybe it was her new dormmate. She sighed at the idea. She looked to the key on her desk that Hyunjin had left for her.

_===_

_"Remember," Hyunjin said, handing the key to Chaeryeong, "This was once my key to the dorm and_ _you're_ _supposed to give_ _it_ _to_ _your_ _new_ _dormmate_ _. They should_ _actually_ _be arriving soon this week,_ _apparently_ _, someone was_ _already_ _looking to move_ _into_ _the_ _dorms. I need you to_ _treat_ _them nicely,"_

 _Chaeryeong_ _complained but Hyunjin_ _rolled_ _her eyes, "Chae- they are your new_ _dormmate_ _. Please, just treat 'em nicely. For me?" Hyunjin asked with puppy (or kitten) eyes._

 _Chaeryeong_ _groaned_ _, "Fine, only because you asked me to,"_

 _"Thank you,_ _I'll_ _miss you," Hyunjin said,_ _opening_ _her_ _arms. Chaeryeong sighed, hugging the girl._

 _"_ _I'll_ _miss you too,"_

_===_

She walked over and unlocked the door. She was ready to lay down some strict rules or to try and scare them. Sure, she was usually looked down upon. Sure, her powers didn't make her powerful. But she wasn't ready to be pushed around by someone who was trying to replace one of her closest friends. No, Chaeryeong would make this person's lives here at the dorm Hell. Hyunjin may want her to act nice, but deep down she'll always hate this perso-

"Hi there, roommate!" Yuna said as Chaeryeong's eyes widened.

"Y-Yuna?"

"That's the name!" The girl sing-song'ed as she waltzed into the dorm, her bags in hand, "Wow! Your dorm looks amazing!"

"Thanks," Chaeryeong said. Okay, maybe she was wrong. Maybe instead she would absolutely love the new person in her dorm. _'Sorry Hyunjin, but if_ _I_ _knew_ _it_ _was Yuna,_ _I_ _would've kicked you out of our dorm in seconds'_

"So, how are you?" Yuna asked as Chaeryeong giggled.

"Great! I was just studying for an upcoming test,"

"Oooooh! I hope you do great!" The other girl said as Chaeryeong giggled.

"Same here," she replied as she looked at the taller's bags. "Need some help with that?" Yuna looked at them and nodded. The two then went over to Yuna's new bedroom.

Chaeryeong wasn't going to lie, it turns out maybe she will enjoy her new dormmate's presence, much more than she anticipated.

=======

"I'm telling you! We hung out!" Choerry said as the rest of her friends all shared dubious looks.

"Yes, the ice queen _definitely_ hung out with you and you _totally_ didn't dream up the whole thing," Yeojin said as Choerry smiled and looked to the other two.

"See? Yeojin believes me," she said as Yeojin chuckled.

"I was being sarcastic," she said as Choerry looked surprised again.

"I just don't get why you guys can't buy it," She said exasperatedly. The others all shrugged as Olivia spoke up.

"She's a stone-cold bitch- why would she suddenly want to hang out with you?" Olivia asked as Choerry sighed.

"Because she has her own issues Olivia, and I'm going to help her with them," Choerry said as Yeojin seemed a little disarmed at the girl's more caring tone.

"Right- look, you sure you aren't imagining last night wrongly?" Olivia asked again as someone could be seen approaching.

"Yep- we had fun, she's nice if a little rough around the edges," Choerry said as another voice soon spoke up.

"I mean that's a flattering way to put it," Seungha said as Choerry turned around.

"Seungha! I was wondering where you were," she said as Seungha smiled. That almost immediately through the other three off. As well as some surrounding people.

 _"Holy shit! Is she_ _smiling_ _?"_

_"What has her so happy?"_

_"Oh_ _it's totally_ _Choerry- she can make anyone smile,"_

 _"I_ _guess_ _she managed to make the cold bitch crack,"_ Seungha looked up to whoever called her that and saw them immediately hide their head. Yeojin then spoke up.

"Eh, ignore them. If Choerry has told us anything, then it's clearly worth giving you a chance," Yeojin said as Chaewon soon spoke up.

"Weren't you doubting Choerry a second ago-" the girl was cut off as Yeojin put a hand on her mouth.

"NOPE! I've had a hundred percent faith that Choerry has been truthful," She said, throwing an arm around said friend as Seungha sighed.

"Yeah, I wanted to thank you for last night. Helped to clear my head," she smiled. Most people had seemed to get over the initial shock and began continuing with their day.

"Well, anything for a friend. And I mean that," Choerry said, smiling, "We're friends now... alright? You can tell me anything," Seungha smiled but then awkwardly coughed.

"Ahem, well yes, thank you. I do have a lesson to go to now so... yeah," Seungha said, rushing off.

"Oh my god..." Chaewon muttered as the rest of the group looked to her, "Seungha can emote,"

"I don't see what's so impressive..." Olivia muttered, running a hand through her hair and looking away.

"I mean, considering the most emotion she shows is the room getting colder- I think Choerry has actually befriended the girl and made her less mean," Chaewon said as Choerry grinned. Yeojin gasped.

"What?" They all asked concerned as Olivia seemed to catch on.

"No..." the raven-haired girl said.

"Yes..." the shorter one replied.

"No...!"

"Yes...!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"WHAT?!" Chaewon screeched as the other two winced.

"Calm down girl... anyways, I was going to say I'm inviting her to lunch with us," Yeojin said as Olivia groaned.

"Why? What's the point?" Olivia said as Yeojin rolled her eyes.

"Oh give her a chance. Honestly, Choerry's proven that Seungha isn't all talk. What if she's right? And if I'm being honest, I kinda wanna see how things go down," Yeojin said.

"We don't need her," Olivia stated.

"But she needs us," Choerry said as Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Fine, ask her," she said, crossing her arms, "But don't be surprised when she doesn't accept your invite,"

"Oh I won't," Yeojin said, mimicking the other girl's stance, "Because she will accept the invite," she said as the two glared at each other. Choerry simply watched smiling, eyes darting between the two. Chaewon sighed, dramatically placing a hand on her head.

"Ugh, I'm tired! Someone carry me!" She said as Yeojin snickered.

"You aren't some princess with a butler, who'd do that?" She said as Olivia walked over and picked up Chaewon bridal style and began walking over to their class, the girl in her arms stammering and blushing like a mess.

"God- how are they not dating?" Yeojin asked as Choerry sighed.

"How have neither of them realised they both like each other?" Choerry shook her head.

"They're both so dense," Yeojin commented with a disappointed sigh.

"Well, let's get to class. And thanks for backing me up," Choerry said as they began walking.

"No problem, if I'm honest, kinda wanna see where this goes," she said, "What if she finds my humour funny? That'll show everyone that I truly am a comedic genius,"

"But I find your jokes funny, is that not enough?" Choerry asked as Yeojin sighed.

"Choerry, you're like, Number Five in the school's ranking system. Seungha's not even on the scale," She said, as Choerry giggled at that.

_**The school has a ranking system based around the students' level and general skill in combat and Network Battles!** _

_**There are a legendary top ten- the top ten most powerful students! However, oddly, a student named Shin Seungha had herself removed from the rankings!** _

_**Choi Yerim: No. 5** _

"I do sometimes wonder why she chose to remove herself. I wonder what she was like when she was still on it..." Choerry thought. She and the others had only joined the school around their second year as new students. Seungha had been around since her first year, and anyone who seemed to know anything about the girl either left the school or straight up didn't talk about it.

The girl was an enigma. Did she have any friends before she became the Negative Student, Zero?

The truth was she did.

=======

"Vivi..."

Seungha muttered to herself as she saw the girl in her seat, next to where Seungha herself normally sat. She found herself rubbing her other arm as she looked at the other girl. It had been years since they last spoke... was she really about to do this? She sighed, if she was going to start changing, this would be a good place to start. She walked over and sat down. Vivi stayed quiet. As usual, respecting Seungha's comfort zones and not speaking. But she was startled when the girl herself spoke up.

"Good morning, Vivi," she said awkwardly, wondering what the other girl would say. She saw the awkward and surprised look on the other girl's face. She looked away, wondering what Vivi would say. She was surprised when Vivi smiled and replied.

"Good morning to you too, Seungha," Seungha found a small smile graced her face as she looked away. Vivi was surprised at this and wondered what the other girl wanted. She decided to keep quiet.

As the teacher talked and talked during the lecture, Seungha found herself oddly bored. She looked over to Vivi, who- despite making a great effort to note-take- also shared the same bored expression. Seungha sighed.

"God, he's as boring as ever," Seungha muttered as Vivi sighed.

"Tell me about it,"

"Hey," Seungha said as Vivi looked over.

"Yeah?" Seungha planned on a conversation but found herself during blanks.

"...how are your new friends?" Seungha found herself asking. Vivi was surprised. Sure, she had mentioned her friends in passing before, but Seungha never seemed interested.

"Good, they're doing good. Though there is something bothering me... I'm sure it's nothing," Vivi said. Seungha had to admit, that did pique her interest.

"Really? What?" Seungha asked as Vivi looked up. The other girl was shocked. Seungha had never even expressed remote concern about her, let alone her friends. She had no idea what spurred on this change, but... she liked it.

"Well, it's complicated..." Vivi said, as much as she did want to talk to her old friend, she wasn't sure if it was okay to just talk about these types of concerns to her again.

"Hmm..." Seungha thought, "Does one of them like the other but the other is in a relationship? But it's kinda obvious they're at least a little interested?"

"H-How?" Vivi asked as Seungha shrugged.

"Yuna watched a drama like that, wouldn't shut up about it for weeks. Had a terrible ending... anyways- I'm assuming I'm right," she said as Vivi nodded and sighed. She propped up her elbow against the table and rested her face against her hand.

"I'm considering talking to one of them about it... do you think I should?" Vivi asked. Now Seungha was a little unsure, should she be able to give out advice? Well... if she is going to be a different person, she might as well.

"...talk to the one who isn't in the relationship,"

"Hyunjin?"

"Yeah, her. If you talk to the girl in the relationship-"

"-Heejin,"

"Yes, her. If you talk to Heejin, things could get a little messy. Just talk to Hyunjin, but don't bring up the fact Heejin may or may not like her. You don't wanna make any assumptions just yet. Make more observations before you're sure," she said as Vivi nodded.

"...Thanks. I wasn't sure if you were willing to help but you were," Seungha was silent before finally saying her next words.

"Anything for a friend," Vivi was surprised but felt her heart beat faster in excitement as a smile donned her face.

"I don't know if we're fully back on old terms but... I wanted to talk to you again," Seungha said honestly.

"Well, I don't know what spurred on this change, but I'm willing to 'talk' Seungha," Deep down, Vivi hoped this meant an old friend had returned, "...I missed you,"

"Same... but things were complicated... you know, between us three, and... I didn't know what to do," Seungha admitted.

"Well, how about we stick to talking and we'll see where we go," Vivi smiled as Seungha nodded.

"I'd quite like that," she said as the two returned to silence.

"So... dramas?" Vivi asked as Seungha hid a small smile.

"She's been into them ever since I introduced them to her,"

"God, you're still so obsessed with those,"

"I haven't changed _that_ much,"

"So you still hate horror films?"

"I hate the _gore,_ not the horror itself," Seungha then shuddered, "So much blood,"

Vivi found herself giggling. Seungha looked to her old friend with a fond look. She missed it when they could talk like this.

=======

Jinsoul let out a sigh as she leant back in her chair. The teacher continued to inform the rest of the class about some assignment due in a few days. Jinsoul wasn't really paying too much attention though. The teacher's voice was plain and monotone. She had almost fallen asleep numerous times. She felt a pinch on her arm as she jolted upright. The teacher looked to her with a small concerned look as Jinsoul flashed a smile, which seemed to be enough for her to continue with her talk.

She looked to the left of her to see her friend, Sooyoung, sitting back and relaxed. Jinsoul rolled her eyes as Sooyoung snickered.

"What?" She asked as Jinsoul herself chuckled.

"Nothing just bored out of my mind," she admitted with a sigh, slumping in her chair a bit.

"Tell me about it," Sooyoung muttered, equally as uninterested. The two sat in their boredom as Jinsoul smiled.

"So... how are things with Jiwoo?" Jinsoul found herself asking as Sooyoung chuckled.

"We're still ' _bestie best bestest besties!_ ' As she puts it," She said, mimicking the girl's voice as Jinsoul snickered.

"God that impression was terrible," Jinsoul said as she and Sooyoung shared a grin.

"Nah- I think I got the pitch right,"

"You'd have to have a gallon of helium to even be close," Jinsoul smirked as Sooyoung rolled her eyes. She sighed.

"I really like her, I wanna tell her that. But I'm wondering if these signals are her way of saying she's not into me like that," She muttered as Jinsoul felt her smile fall and a look of concern replaced her mischievous grin from earlier.

She was about to say something. She really wanted to say 'You idiot, she's head over heels for you, everyone knows it, can you not be so dense?' or something similar, but found the words stuck in her throat as she remembered something Jiwoo had told her.

_===_

_"Hey!" Jiwoo said,_ _running_ _up to Jinsoul, almost_ _out_ _of_ _breath_ _. Jinsoul took off her headphones._

_"Umm... how far have you been chasing me for?" Jinsoul asked as Jiwoo panted._

_"_ _I've_ _been chasing you for a_ _while_ _..." she gasped for air before continuing, "...you were kind of just..." another_ _breath_ _".._ _ignoring_ _..." breath, "me..."_

 _"Ah," Jinsoul_ _realised_ _, "Sorry- headphones, ya know?"_

 _Jiwoo smiled as she stood upright and_ _dusted_ _herself off a little. She_ _looked_ _to Jinsoul with a smile_ _everyone_ _in the school recognised as her's. But that_ _look_ _turned serious as she_ _sighed_ _._

 _"Jinsoul..._ _I_ _know_ _you're_ _like, Sooyoung's best_ _friend_ _but... can you not tell her_ _I_ _like her? I know the_ _girl_ _is_ _dense_ _but... if_ _someone_ _tells her, instead of her_ _realising_ _it herself,_ _I_ _feel like it has less_ _impact_ _. Or maybe it_ _doesn't_ _. I_ _don't_ _really_ _know_ _..._ _just_ _please_ _,_ _don't_ _tell her_ _yet_ _, not_ _until_ _I_ _say_ _I'm_ _ready_ _or_ _okay_ _with_ _you saying it," She said as Jinsoul was taken aback._

 _Should she? This was sort of going behind her best friend's back but..._ _she_ _also didn't want to_ _turn_ _Jiwoo down. And it_ _didn't_ _feel too_ _bad_ _of a promise. She extended_ _her_ _hand_ _which_ _Jiwoo shook_ _gladly_ _. She smiled and promise her she_ _wouldn't_ _._

_===_

Jinsoul sighed. "Look, maybe do something like take her out? Give her a gift? But make sure you don't accidentally make it look like you're friend-zoning her,"

Sooyoung nodded and sighed. "Thanks, I'll consider it. Thanks,"

Sooyoung smiled at her friend before a thought of her own came to mind.

"So... I won a battle yesterday," Jinsoul grinned.

"I know- Choerry told me yesterday," She said as Sooyoung smiled.

"Oh, you should've seen it..." Sooyoung said as she recounted the battle, Jinsoul smiling the whole time.

=======

"I'm telling you Lippie- I'm trying everything!" Chuu said in an exasperated tone, throwing her hands in the air and attracting some attention. Jungeun shushed her friend as she gave apologetic looks to those they disturbed.

"Chuu- we're in the library, people are trying to study," Lip said as she sighed. "But seriously, everything?" She asked her friend who groaned.

"I've bought her cakes, I've helped her with her assignments, I've fought battles with her, I've hugged her whenever the opportunity presents itself! _Everything_ has been tried," she emphasised as the older girl sighed. Jiwoo was distressed.

"Am I doing something wrong? Am I saying something? I've even kissed her on the cheek so many times- not anyone does that! I'm starting to wonder if she's not into me..." Jiwoo said dejectedly as Jungeun's eyes widened.

"No! No, why would you think that?" Jungeun asked as if Jiwoo was insane, and to Jungeun, she was being insane right now.

"Well... she gets all awkward sometimes and I'm wondering if it's me making our friendship awkward..." Jiwoo said as Jungeun felt bad for her friend. She _knew_ from things Jinsoul said that Sooyoung was interested in her, but she promised Sooyoung she wouldn't tell Jiwoo this.

"Maybe... you're coming on too strong? Maybe play it... 'lowkey'?" She said, trying to use the word she'd heard Choerry use before. Jiwoo giggled.

"It's so weird hearing you use those words- that isn't the Jungeunie I know!" She said as the two shared a laugh. But Jiwoo smiled earnestly. "But... maybe you're right," she said as she smiled to her friend. Jiwoo then looked to her friend as the silence fell upon them.

"So... how are things with Jinsoul?" She asked as she saw Jungeun suddenly become nervous. Jiwoo immediately went into fight-or-flight mode.

"WHAT DID SHE DO TO YOU?"

"QUIET IN THE LIBRARY!" The librarian shouted as Jiwoo yelled a 'SORRY' equally as loud. Jungeun immediately facepalmed and backtracked.

"No no! Jinsoul hasn't done anything... well she has but-" Jiwoo glared, "-I'm... also to blame. We're both messing up Jiwoo. And it's messing us up," she said, laying her arms and head down onto the table with a sigh. She felt tired. And she worried Jinsoul may feel the same. Even if she doesn't show it on the surface, even if she'll laugh to Sooyoung's jokes... she knows the other girl is suffering. They both are.

Jiwoo sighed upon seeing her friend like this. And she knew that Jinsoul wasn't a bad person. She considered talking to the girl later. For now, she wanted to raise her friend's spirits. She got up and walked to the girl's side. Jungeun sat up and looked to her friend with tired eyes. It hurt Jiwoo to see her friend like this. She immediately hugged the other girl who hugged back. They held onto each other tightly.

"Want ice-cream later?" Jiwoo asked as she heard Jungeun speak.

"...yes..."

"Do you want to keep hugging?" She asked with a smug grin.

"...please..." she said defeatedly as the two remained in their embrace- the two would always be there for each other. Till the end of time- they were best friends.

=======

Seungha relaxed back into her chair, leaning back a little with her arms crossed and her head thrown back looking at the ceiling. Most of her lessons today felt incredibly boring or stale, and she was ready to kick back and not pay attention during a boring lecture about a topic she already understood. Quiet, calm, tranquil. That was until a voice made itself heard.

"Hey there Seungha!" She heard a raspy voice call out as she looked to her left. Yeojin sat, mimicking Seungha's relaxed stance but her shorter stature seemed to make it more of a challenge. Seungha found herself amused and had a small smile as she sat normally. "Oh thank god, I have no idea how you're able to do that," she said as Seungha chuckled.

"Maybe if you weren't so short..." Seungha trailed off as Yeojin kicked the girl under the desk. Some people around them turned, wondering what Seungha would do. They could feel the temperature drop and the room turn could. Yeojin audibly gulped but tried to show no fear. Seungha edged closer. And then, she extended her hand.

It moved closer.

And closer.

And then...

"Boop- scared ya," Seungha said, as many were taken aback. Some continued staring whilst others seemed to be in disbelief. She was now a little concerned.

"Ppft-" I heard from Yeojin as she began to crack up and laugh. She found herself smiling and chuckling along with her.

" _Wow_ I did not know you had it in you," Yeojin said, wiping a tear away. It felt... good, to Seungha. Making someone else laugh instead of making them scared of her. She couldn't help but crack a smile at this. Yeojin extended a hand towards her.

"Miss Shin Seungha," she said in a mock formal voice, "Would you be so willing as to join me and my compatriots in some fine dining around the daily hour of food intake?" She asked as smiled.

"Sure, you... you've made me feel accepted... so I owe as much," She said, which seemed to visibly take Yeojin aback, but she smiled widely.

"I mean, I _am_ the funniest one here," she grinned as Seungha smiled back.

=======

Seungha found herself looking around for the others. She heard they ate outdoors and found a table. She saw Choerry, Yeojin, Chaewon and Olivia sitting together. An odd bunch- you wouldn't expect them all to hang out but here they were. Seungha inhaled slowly before breathing out. Was she really about to do this? She knew, or felt as if, Yeojin and Choerry accepted and trusted her. But Chaewon and Olivia? She wasn't as sure, and she was also sure Olivia may have still been a little bitter over their fight a while ago.

As she was in the middle of her doubting, she heard Choerry and Yeojin call her over. She put on a blank expression and walked over.

"Hi," she said as she sat down between Yeojin and Choerry. The two welcomed her as Olivia ignored her presence and Chaewon nodded awkwardly. Things were quiet and awkward, but Yeojin spoke up.

"We were talking about the Network Battle yesterday- Yoojung and Elly versus Sooyoung and Jiwoo, did you see it?" She asked as Seungha nodded. Yeojin hinted that she wanted more from her so she continued to speak.

"Well, yeah I saw it. I wasn't there but the school usually records battles for other students to view. I like watching them in my free time. Truth be told, I was always interested in how people used and controlled their abilities. The confidence to just step into an arena and fight people despite them having a higher level always amazed me," She said as Choerry nodded, "I myself actually... I wouldn't want to participate in them... I stopped a long time ago," she said as Chaewon raised an eyebrow to this.

"How come?"

"I don't wanna say," Seungha rushed out, a little too quickly as the others now seemed suspicious. She sighed, "I guess that's why I think those who partake in them are brave," she admitted as Yeojin seemed surprised.

"Wow- our strongest student being a pro-battle anti-battler?" Yeojin said in disbelief.

"What's that?" Seungha asked, very confused.

"Someone who wouldn't fight in battles but does enjoy watching them," Chaewon said, "That's a real Choerry mood," she said as Seungha looked to the girl next to her. Choerry nodded.

"I'm not really a fan," She admitted as Seungha looked interested as to why, "It's just... I feel like more powerful students use them as an excuse to hurt weaker ones... and it bothers me... though-" she began, "When people are there to have fun- it can be entertaining," she beamed as Seungha nodded.

"You know, speaking of strong and weak and levels and all- Seungha, what's your level?" Chaewon asked.

Seungha sighed. She gestured for them to lean in. Her level was a secret, no one knew what it was, save the principal and a few teachers he trusted, and no one ever told a student what it was. It was like some sort of major secret, a confidential and important piece of information. People wondered whether it was because Seungha asked them or if there was someone else. Regardless, she seemed to also keep quiet about it. However, she felt a sense of trust amongst the group of four in front of her, so she felt it was worth sharing.

"8.6," she said as a chorus of awe and amazement followed.

"That's higher than the number one..." Yeojin muttered as Chaewon nodded in amazement.

"Wow... what are the stats?" She asked as Seungha continued.

"Power- 10, Range- 10, Defence- 10, Skill- 10," a look of awe- and in Olivia's case, a look of interest- was on their faces with their eyes wide and sparkling and Olivia showing raised eyebrows, "Speed- 8 and Medical- 2,"

 **Shin Seungha**  
 **She can create huge amounts of ice to** **freeze** **her** **opponents** **solid.** **Ranging** **from** **large chunks of** **ice** **,** **clones** **of herself made** **from** **ice or even weapons made** **from** **ice- she** **can** **do a lot** **with** **a** **fairly** **simple** **power.**

**Power - 10**

**Speed - 8**

**Defence - 10**

**Medical - 2**

**Skill - 10**

**Range - 10**

**Overall Level - 8.6**

"Woah! With near perfect stats like that, you must be invincible," Yeojin said as Seungha sighed.

"Stats aren't everything. Your stats don't always account for your other weaknesses. For instance, my ability causes ice to appear on my body with prolonged use- even in my hair," She admitted, "My ability is strong but I can't use it for too long,"

"Huh, I haven't really thought about that..." Choerry muttered, trailing off a little before speaking up, "My ability is similarly powerful and I can't use it for too long either. If I use it for too long I can become dehydrated,"

"My ability can cause major headaches if I use it too much myself," Chaewon said as eyes fell upon Yeojin and Olivia. Seungha had to admit, she was a little interested in their weaknesses.

"I don't really have one," Yeojin said as everyone groaned, with the exception of Seungha- who seemed more impressed if anything, "That isn't a brag! My ability is low in power- that's basically it. I do, however, use my cunning, devious mind to come up with menacing schemes," she boasted as another chorus of annoyed groans was heard as Seungha seemed a little amused by this.

"Hey, edgelord, what about you?" Yeojin asked as Olivia rolled her eyes.

"I don't see why I have to," she said, shooting a glare towards Seungha. Chaewon noticed and looked back to Seungha.

"Well, thanks for adding to that. I seriously didn't think you even had a weakness,"

"I'm powerful, not invincible. I haven't done the best job at showing it, but I am still a person," she said which took Chaewon back a little. Whilst it was true Seungha was closed off and a little emotionless in the past, they all also did dehumanise her a little. It made her almost sad to think someone was maybe a little forced into the role of cold soloist.

"Yeah... you're right," Chaewon said. Seungha was a little surprised at the odd sincere tone but decided not to speak about it. Besides, she had to admit- it did sound nice. "I still have another question though," Chaewon said as Seungha gestured her to ask. "Why can't anyone find out your abilities or level? I'm going to admit, there were times I've been tempted to read your mind, but there's some kind of psychic barrier in the way,"

"Well, you just said it. A close mentor placed one around my head when I was younger, to keep me safe," she admitted. Chaewon nodded before then thinking for a moment.

"The psychic energy around it too..." everyone now seemed interested as Chaewon looked up, "Hey... this mentor wouldn't happen to also have gone by the nickname of RM when they were younger, did they?"

Seungja seemed shocked. Chaewon grinned, "Looks like they did. Hehe. Also looks like we shared a mentor," she smiled, leaning back a little before realising that the bench had no back to it and she fell backwards, being caught by Olivia. Yeojin snickered as Choerry seemed confused.

"Your mentor? Chaewon- didn't you say that when you were young- your mentor was-"

"The principal? Yep!" Chaewon said as eyes fell back onto Seungha who chuckled.

"I think I remember you now- he did mention he was teaching some black-haired telepath, he also mentioned they dyed their hair once," she said, "So I guess you were her?"

"Yep! And you... don't match his description too well," Chaewon said, pointing at her but faltering upon saying the last part.

"How so?" Seungha asked.

"Well, I know he said he only had one other student, but he described them as 'a bag of emotion'," Chaewon said as Yeojin spoke up.

"No offence- but that's definitely not Seungha," she was then promptly elbowed by Choerry.

Chaewon continued, "They loved ice cream and always treated him to some after lessons, loved watching films about magic, sci-fi and a lot of other nerdy stuff, were easily irritated and had a short temper, would hate sour and bitter foods and also apparently scared of horror films and downright hated gore, blood and all that sort of thing,"

"You... know a lot about me. Or... me before this whole 'being a cold bitch'-thing," Seungha said.

"Well he always had fun stories to tell- was that really you?" Chaewon asked. Seungha nodded.

"Did he also tell you about the rollercoasters?" She asked, leaning forward a little.

Chaewon leant a little forward too, "And how whilst he was sick as hell- you were screaming with joy and thought it was the best thing ever? Yeah- he seemed really happy despite the whole throwing up thing,"

Yeojin joined in, "Oh my god- the principal throwing up? I gotta see that-"

"You really wouldn't," Choerry said.

Chaewon smiled, "Ohmygod- you were the one who gave him a brain freeze with your powers!" She said excitedly as Seungha chuckled

"Call it a misfire, call it luck. He was in a lot of pain though," she cringed at the last part as Chaewon giggled happily. Seungha felt a warm feeling at making a friend laugh, and she was happy that Chaewon seemed to take a liking to her.

What she didn't seem to notice were the glares Olivia was sending her way.

=======

_**'Ryujin and Heejin vs Chaeyoung and Dahyun'** _

Hyunjin looked up to the hologram display as she looked back down to the arena to watch the current battle. Ryujin's arms were coated in a dark red aura as her entire body was glowing red. She threw a punch towards Chaeyoung, who dodged and swiped with her claws, leaving a bleeding claw mark on Ryujin's abdomen.

 **Shin** **Ryujin**  
 **She can boost her strength** **and** **defense** **stats, giving her enhanced** **strength** **and an indestructible** **aura** **around** **her body.**

**Power - 8**

**Speed - 3**

**Defence - 8**

**Medical - 3**

**Skill - 7**

**Range - 4** ****

**Overall Level - 5.5**

**Park Chaeyoung**  
 **She can** **transform** **her arms into tiger-like limbs, giving herself** **superhuman** **strength and a pair of claws** **that can** **cut** **through** **steel.**

**Power - 7**

**Speed - 6**

**Defence - 6**

**Medical - 3**

**Skill - 6**

**Range - 3**

**Overall Level - 5.2**

As Chaeyoung then prepared for another strike, a pink glowing rope wrapped around her ankles and made her trip over. Heejin smirked, the pink rope in question leading back to her hand. However, a sharp blue quill cut through it, setting Chaeyoung free. Heejin looked up to see Dahyun in the air with a set of glowing blue wings.

 **Jeon Heejin**  
 **She can create energy-based pink** **ropes** **to** **ensnare** **and trap her** **opponents** **or use as sharp whips.**

**Power - 4**

**Speed - 5**

**Defence - 7**

**Medical - 2**

**Skill - 8**

**Range - 8**

**Overall Level - 5.6**

**Kim Dahyun**  
 **She can** **generate** **a set of blue** **glowing** **wings** **and fire** **sharp** **, blade-like quills at her enemies** **whilst** **flying high.**

**Power - 4**

**Speed - 7**

**Defence - 4**

**Medical - 3**

**Skill - 7**

**Range - 6**

**Overall Level - 5.2**

Heejin then extended her other hand behind her, creating a new rope, before throwing it forward towards the sky and towards Dahyun. She swerved to dodge it, well aware of Heejin's strategy to try and tie her down to the earth. Heejin retracted the rope and generated a new one and threw it towards Chaeyoung, the rope cutting her and leaving a gash in the process. Heejin smirked as whilst Chaeyoung was distracted, Ryujin threw a punch towards her face, knocking her down to the ground.

Meanwhile, Hyunjin watched the pair fight and sighed. "They make a great pair, huh?" She heard a voice say and looked up to see Vivi walking down and sitting next to her in the arena.

"Yep..." she looked down to the ground, a pained look on her face. "Great..."

Vivi's eyes softened as she wrapped an arm around Hyunjin and squeezed her shoulder. The girl looked at Vivi, her expression blank and unreadable, but slowly broke as a more pained look took its place, her eyes watering slightly and a frown forming. Vivi felt her heart ache at seeing one of her closest friends seem so hurt. She got up with Hyunjin following suit. She walked to the entrance and leant against its frame with Hyunjin standing opposite her. She sighed.

"Hyunjin... what are you doing?" Vivi awaited the answer from the girl who stayed silent for a while. "Hyunjin... please..."

"I... I don't know..." she admitted, lowering her head.

"Why do you keep watching them?"

"Because..." Hyunjin let out a breath, "Oh- you're smart enough, you've figured out why,"

Vivi now looked the floor herself, "You love Heejin but can't tell her because she's dating Ryujin,"

"Yep... hehe... pretty depressing eh?" She tried to muse but she couldn't mask the sadness in her voice. She looked back down to the floor and could feel her eyes well up. "I've been watching... for so long... but I don't want to break them up... or make them sad... they need me- a friend to be there for them,"

"You're hurting, Hyunjin. I think I understand why you've been keeping to yourself more,"

"It hurts seeing them like this but... it hurts not seeing them at all," Vivi walked closer to the girl.

"Hyunjin... I know it's hard but- you're a good person. Not many would use your position to keep the relationship going instead of sabotaging it for your own gain. That I can respect, but," Vivi put a hand on the girl's shoulder, "I'm here for you. We're here for you. You can always come to me or Haseul if you need a shoulder to lean on,"

Hyunjin smiled, and pulled Vivi in for a hug. "Thank you, Vivi," She said as Vivi hugged her back.

"Happy to help,"

Meanwhile, Heejin looked at the two hugging. She couldn't say why, but for some reason, it bothered her. Why? She thought to herself. Why did it bother her that two of her friends hugged? Why did she care? It was enough to distract her from the battle at hand. Dahyun saw an opening and launched a barrage of quills her way. Ryujin noticed and jumped in front of Heejin, arms raised, blocking and deflecting the barrage- a few stray quills did land on her shoulders.

She then looked at Chaeyoung, who was charging her way. Ryujin stood her ground, Chaeyoung raised a claw and brought it down. Ryujin blocked it with her left arm and used her right to punch Chaeyoung in the stomach. It wad enough to make her keel over as Ryujin then kicked her across the arena. Dahyun meanwhile was still aborn. Heejin snapped herself out of her daze and threw a rope up to her, finally latching on to her leg.

Dahyun tried to use the sharpened feathers to cut it, but to little avail. Heejin then retracted the rope, it rushed it's way back to her as was Dahyun who was being pulled along. When Dahyun was only a few feet above them, Ryujin jumped up and punched her in the stomach, sending her right to the ground. Her wings dissipated as she lay on the floor.

**_'Winners- Ryujin and Heejin'_ **

"2jin for the win!" Ryujin and Hyunjin called out at the same time. The other girl walked down the arena seats and high fived Ryujin.

Meanwhile, Vivi walked over to the defeated. Her eyes glowed a faint pink as her hands hovered over them. Soon, their wounds slowly disappeared.

 **Vivi**  
 **She can control the flow of time. This means she** **can** **stop time, rewind time, fast forward time and slow down** **time** **. All of these** **capabilities** **manifest** **themselves in** **different** **ways** **.** **Whether** **it's freezing her** **opponents** **in place,** **making** **herself appear** **incredibly** **fast,** **rewinding** **her wounds or being able to** **predict** **the** **near** **future.**

_**Vivi: No. 1** _

"Thanks Vivi," Chaeyoung said, getting up.

"Yeah, glad the number one student is so nice," Dahyun said.

Vivi smiled to herself. The title of "Number One" meant that she was the student highest in the rankings, the strongest student, the student with the highest level. Of course, she was well aware that Seungha was stronger than her, but the girl had her name removed from the rankings many years ago. Vivi had no idea if the girl was any stronger or weaker than all those years ago.

It's why Seungha had gotten the nickname 'Zero'. She was stronger than the number one, everyone knew. Vivi assumed the name didn't just come from her icy demeanour, but rather the idea of "0, 1, 2, 3..." with 0 preceding 1, similar to how Seungha was known to be stronger than her. She found herself thinking about her interactions with the girl today, wondering what sparked the change in her demeanour.

She, however, didn't notice Heejin staring at her.

 _'Why did it_ _bother_ _me?'_

=======

Choerry's eyes sparkled. "I'm telling you! Imagine it,"

"aH Ah iMaGiNe," Yeojin mimicked causing a laugh from both Seungha and Chaewon. Olivia stood back and watched on with a scowl. As Choerry and Yeojin waved goodbye, Chaewon began to speak with Seungha.

"Wow- I feel like I should've spoken to you sooner, you're pretty cool," she said as Seungha smiled.

"Thanks- I guess you guys are pretty cool too, sorta," she said as Chaewon giggled and elbowed her.

"C'mon- you regret not talking to us sooner, eh?" She teased as Seungha looked away. "I'll take that as yes," she rolled her eyes with a smile and beckoned for Olivia. "Oli! We have to go back to the dorms now, bye Seungha," she said, walking ahead. Olivia walked past Seungha, bumping into her in the process, and Seungha could've sworn she saw a glare in her eyes as she did so.

"Hey, Olivia," Seungha called out, everyone around them feeling the temperature drop. People turned, wondering if a fight was about to happen. Olivia turned around, Chaewon looking confused and concerned.

"What?" She snarled as Seungha sighed.

"Look where you're going next time,"

Olivia rolled her eyes, "Or what?"

Seungha looked around her. People, they wanted to see if a fight were to happen. But then, her mind fell back onto her argument with Yuna and the night she had with Choerry. She sighed, people felt the temperature return to normal. "Nothing, just a reminder," Seungha turned around, "See you guys tomorrow," she walked off back to Yongsun's house. Olivia tch'ed in annoyance and turned around, only for Chaewon to grab her wrist and pull her back to their dorms.

She was confused and needed an explanation for what just happened.

=======

Seungha sat down on the large sofa Yongsun had in the living room and leant back into its comfort. She had already read the note Yongsun left on the table. She decided to stay over at her girlfriend's dorm. The two rarely got to see each other. Seungha thought back to the time where Yongsun mentioned she would have loved to let her girlfriend stay with her but her house was already pretty full. She considered the idea that if she moved out, the two could live together.

She then also looked around. She was by herself. Alone. After an entire day surrounded by other people, Seungha found it... bothersome. Being by herself didn't feel nice. She felt lonely and isolated. She didn't like it. She sighed and thought about moving into a dorm.

Would it be good? She thought to herself about these ideas. She could end up having a roommate or two. That could give her company. On the other hand, almost everyone in the school was scared of her. But, if she wanted to show she was changing, this could be a good way. Plus, she couldn't help but feel that she had been imposing on Yongsun for too long.

Maybe she would like it. But... she needed a second opinion. She unlocked her phone and messaged a number.

 _**Seungha:** _ _hey_

 _**Choerry🍒** _ _: OMG SEUNGHA HIIII_

 _**Choerry🍒** _ _: WHY ARE YOU MESSAGING ME?_

 _**Seungha** _ _:_ _I_ _guess_ _I_ _needed_ _someone_ _to talk to_

 _**Choerry🍒** _ _: ABOUT WHAT????_

 _**Seungha** _ _:_ _I_ _might move into a dorm_

 _**Choerry🍒** _ _: oh_

Seungha was a little unsure what the pause meant.

  
 _**Choerry🍒** _ _: THATS GREAT_

 _**Seungha** _ _: is_ _it_ _?_

 _**Choerry🍒** _ _: well for one- all the Shins will be in one_ _building_

 _**Choerry🍒** _ _: AND TWO-_ _I_ _could_ _visit_ _you way more often!_

 _**Seungha** _ _: that_ _doesn't_ _sound too bad :p_

 _**Choerry🍒** _ _: YOU USED A :p_

 _**Seungha** _ _:_ _ugh_ _don't_ _make me regret it_

 _ **Seungha**_ _: are you_ _sure_ _it's a_ _good_ _idea_ _?_

 _ **Choerry🍒**_ _: Whatever makes you_ _feel happy_ _is what you_ _should_ _go_ _with_ _._ _If you're_ _starting_ _to feel lonely, maybe consider it. It could end up being_ _what_ _you need. A change of pace._

 _**Seungha** _ _: thanks_

 ** _Seungha_** _: so..._ _whilst_ _I_ _make the call, can you come over here?_ _I'm_ _still kinda lonely_

 _**Choerry🍒** _ _: MOVIE NIGHT!!!!_

 _**Choerry🍒** _ _:_ _I'll_ _call Yeojin to come_ _over_ _as well!_

 **_Seungha_ ** _: nice_

 **_Seungha_ ** _: horror_ _movies_ _are off_ _limits_ _though_

 **_Choerry_ ** _🍒: scaredy cat~_

 **_Seungha_ ** _:_ _shut_

 **_Seungha_ ** _: up_

Despite the message, Seungha found herself chuckling to herself. She then looked at Namjoon's contact. She presses call and put it to her ear.

=======

Meanwhile elsewhere, Chaewon frustratedly walks out of the dorm, Olivia chasing after her. She stopped and looked down to the ground guiltily. Chaewon herself had tears in her eyes but didn't even look towards Olivia. She didn't want to show this weakness to the girl she liked.

Their roommates, Jiwoo and Sooyoung, watched with sorrowful expressions and sighed, worried for the two.

=======

Haseul muttered her complaints about slobby customers to herself as she wiped down another table. The night sky was dark and street lamps made the street glow a warm yellow. The café lights were off and the only glow came from the large glass window which allowed the light from outside to seep in, and the glow of the TV hung up from the ceiling. The store sign read 'closed'. As she approached one last table, she saw a figure reading a book. She sighed and walked over.

Her eyes glowed green as she approached them. "The sign said closed, for someone who has their nose deep in a book I expected you to be able to read,"

The figure chuckled as Haseul raised an eyebrow. "Haseul, chill, it's me," the figure leant forward, the light from the window lighting up ther face and allowing Haseul to see Vivi. Vivi smiled as Haseul's face went pink with embarrassment. She just threatened her crush. Vivi however giggled and gestured for Haseul to sit down.

She looked down apologetically, "Sorry,"

"Nonsense. If anything, good on you for being ready to deal with intruders,"

Haseul looked up with a small smile, getting complimented by her crush was enough to send her heart spinning. "So, how did you get in?"

"Oh- your coworker let me in," she said, pointing to the worker who was wiping the desk. Yeri grinned at Haseul whilst she rolled her eyes. Yeri and Yeojin seemed dedicated to trying to get Vivi and Haseul dating. Haseul appreciated the gesture but would prefer to do this thing herself.

"I would complain about her breaking the rules but... I do like that you're here," Haseul said. Maybe it was the darkness, but Haseul didn't notice the faint shade of pink that Vivi's face went as she smiled at the sentiment.

"How's work?" Vivi asked as Haseul sighed.

"Honestly? I'm staying back later than usual and having to cover more people's shifts. Thanks for looking after Yeojin," Haseul thanked as Vivi smiled.

"She's my roommate just as much as yours. Though I see what you mean, she does feel like a younger sister I've never had,"

"Right? Honestly, she has a loud mouth and is annoying as hell, but I'd be lying if I said I still didn't love her to bits,"

"I'm telling her you said that!" Yeri called out as Haseul turned around.

"SHUT UP YERI!" Vivi found herself giggling again as Haseul rubbed the back of her neck. The comfort between the three was then interrupted with a news report.

 _**'This just in.** _ _**Apparently** _ _**, the hate** _ _**group** _ _**Icarus has** _ _**once** _ _**again** _ _**attacked** _ _**a superpowered youth on the streets. The group has become** _ _**notorious** _ _**for killing** _ _**several** _ _**people,** _ _**whether** _ _**they be children, teens or** _ _**adults** _ _**,** _ _**with** _ _**superpowered** _ _**abilities** _ _**. The** _ _**victim's sister** _ _**, Jang Wonyoung, mentioned that they** _ _**would've** _ _**killed** _ _**her but thankfully a teacher was near** _ _**the** _ _**incident** _ _**and** _ _**helped** _ _**her ward them off. Her family is now under** _ _**police** _ _**protection until further** _ _**notice** _ _**.'** _

The room went silent at the mention of the group's name. Vivi looked at Haseul worriedly and noticed how her face went blank with emotion. Her head was kept low as she stood up and walked away.

"Hey... Yeri, I'm going to leave now. Vivi... I'll see you back at the dorm..." She said as she walked off. Yeri looked sympathetically towards her as Vivi looked down to her lap.

Haseul walked out behind the store and leant against the brick wall behind her, memories flooding her mind.

===

_Haseul was cradling his body in her arms. Her younger brother, bloodied and bruised. She could feel no pulse in his neck. Paramedics rushed over and took him from her and placed him onto the stretcher and rushed him into the ambulance. Her face was warm and wet with tears that kept rolling. A nearby police officer took a knee and looked at the young girl, crying on her knees. He sighed._

_"I'm sorry young lady, I'm sure this is traumatic for you... it is for all of us..." he said as another officer called out to him._

_"Officer Wang! We need you over here!" He sighed and looked at the girl again. Haseul read a nametag on his uniform._

_'Officer Jackson Wang'_

_She watched as he left. She sat there, alone and cold._

_Her brother and father were taken from her that night. She would then spend countless nights researching Icarus and trying to figure out their plans. For Haseul was no longer waiting for the law, she was out for her own brand of justice._

_She was out for revenge._

===

Choerry found herself happily skipping towards school once more, wearing her pastel pink cardigan and humming a happy tune. It had now been a few days since the first time they invited Seungha to sit with them at lunch. Since then the girl had began talking and hanging out with her friends. She noticed Seungha had also visibly began to change. She smiled more often, her eyes seemed brighter and her voice sounded far less menacing. She still acted a little more reserved and cool-headed compared to the rest of them, but perhaps it was needed.

She eventually saw Yeojin, and called out to her. Yeojin ran up to Choerry and they began walking together. Yeojin and Seungha seemed to get along pretty well. It didn't surprise Choerry all too much- the shorter girl could always make others laugh. She had faith her best friend could bring Seungha out of her cold shell. She found the movie night the three had to be an incredible time. Whether it was seeing Seungha laugh over Yeojin and Choerry recreating a dramatic action scene, to seeing Yeojin and Seungha gag at the romantic films, to even getting the pleasure of seeing Seungha scared out of her mind from horror films- the night was a fantastic experience.

She then saw a faint eden green glow as Chaewon levitated over towards them. Chaewon and Seungha seemed to be getting along pretty well. Other than discovering the two shared a mentor, the two discovered they also shared a few other interests. It seemed as if the girl was completely okay with giving Seungha a chance and it worked out great. Seeing the two work together on homework or arguing over music was definitely something to behold.

Most others in the school were of conflicting opinion. Some were ready to give her a second chance, some remained wary but welcoming. And others were still terrified. The mixed reaction wasn't the best but Choerry was glad about the progress Seungha had made. She then saw a certain black-haired girl. She ran over and said hi.

"Olivia! How are you?" Olivia turned around. She sighed.

"Leave me alone, Yerim- I'd prefer it if I was by myself," she tried to turn and walk away and but Choerry didn't let go. Olivia raised an eyebrow and Choerry huffed. The odd suspicion that Olivia was avoiding them still plagued her mind.

"Nope- you've been avoiding us for too long! You're coming with us to class," she said, pulling the girl towards the other two with a surprising amount of force. Yeojin waved and mentioned how she hadn't seen the girl for a while. Meanwhile, both Chaewon and Olivia met eyes. The two looked away for a while and kept their distance. Choerry knew something was definitely up.

As they walked on, Yeojin tried lifting the mood with another dumb story of her's.

"...you guys should've seen it! Haseul was screaming and I, like anyone else would, was laughing like hell. Dear god, it was beautiful," She laughed, wiping a tear from her eye. "Anyways, Vivi banned me from the kitchen after that,"

"Sounds like a smart move," Seungha commented as she walked up to them. Choerry could've sworn she saw Olivia roll her eyes and Chaewon elbow the girl.

"Hey! Seungha! How are you?" Chaewon asked, pushing past Choerry and Yeojin. Yeojin rolled her eyes and kept walking as Olivia growled. Seungha looked concerned but continued to talk to Chaewon.

"I'm doing good, thanks for asking," she said as Chaewon giggled. Choerry looked back to Olivia, the black-haired girl was now brooding to herself. Choerry sighed. She then put on a smile and tried to talk to Seungha.

"Hey, Seungha! I-" before she could get her words out, a voice dripping with poison spoke up.

"Oh my god! Its Miss Perfect herself! How are you doing today?" She said as Choerry turned to the voice, forcing the smile to stay to her face.

"Jennie! I'm doing just-"

" _Shut the fuck up, you bitch,_ " She snarled back as Olivia pushed forward, standing in front of Choerry and the others.

"Go fuck yourself Kim," Olivia spat back as Jennie scoffed. Seungha looked at the girl with an icy cold expression.

She pushed past Olivia, who protested. "Oi! Dumbass! You don't have to butt in-" but Seungha ignored her.

"Jennie." She said without a hint of emotion yet with a bothered expression.

"Seungha." She replied, equally emotionless.

"Been a while, didn't realise you were wasting your time by picking on others,"

"Really? That is kinda her thing," Yeojin spoke up only to be elbowed by Chaewon. Seungha facepalmed as Jennie snickered.

"Oh, to think you ditched me, but I didn't care. I knew you'd come back. All alone and you did get lonely. But instead of coming to me... you chose them," she seemed to say the last part with intense hatred. As if it were Choerry and her friends' fault and not Seungha's. Olivia raised an eyebrow.

 _'Ditched her? Wait, were_ _they_ _friends? Just... who the hell_ _is_ _Seungha?'_ Olivia found herself thinking as Seungha's fists clenched. She sighed.

"I 'ditched' you for a reason. Of course, you're too up your own ass to realise it," she said as Jennie's small body seemed to shake with anger. She scoffed.

"To think this is what you've decided to become... I'm disappointed," she may not have shown it, but those words hurt Seungha. Choerry could tell. Now she really wanted to know what kind of past she and Jennie held. She looked down to the ground before speaking up.

"Good... now you know how I felt all those years ago," and Jennie seemed even more shocked and hurt at that. She frustratedly yelled before storming off. Yeojin laughed.

"Hell yeah! You better run, you ungracious bi-" before Yeojin could finish, someone quickly ran up to her and punched her square in the face. She was sent flying back. The rest of them looked up in shock as her nose seemed shattered. They looked back to see a blond-haired girl pull her fist back and stand. Yeojin snarled.

"Lisa! Seems like you-" she yelled in pain and held her nose. Choerry and Chaewon rushed to her side.

"Were you gonna comment on my hair? Yeah- black hair was hot. But I didn't want to look too much like Miss Panic-At-The-Everywhere over here," Lisa said, gesturing towards Olivia. Jennie called out to Lisa, who turned and followed her. Everyone looked to the group concerned, but Olivia yelled at them.

"The fuck you all looking at? Fuck off!"

"Argh..." Yeojin painfully tried getting up, but failed. Seungha sighed as she felt Olivia grab her by her shirt.

"The fuck kinda past do you and Kim have? Seems pretty fucking suspicious if you ask me," Olivia barked as Seungha's expression darkened, "Huh?" She said, her grip tightened.

"Seungha..." Choerry muttered as the girl swatted Olivia's hand away from her. She felt the air around them begin to cool and get colder.

"What happened to me in my past is none of your concern Son. If you ask me about it again I'll make sure your mouth is frozen shut," the entire group froze with fear. It had been days since they last heard such a cold threat from the girl. Seungha realised what she had said and took a step back. She looked away, rubbing her arm awkwardly. "Y-You might want to take Yeojin to the Medical Wing,"

Olivia glared at the girl before walking over to Yeojin and helping her up. "Come on," Olivia said, picking Yeojin up and throwing the girl's arm over her own shoulder. Olivia sent one last death glare towards Seungha and walked off. Yeojin shot a concerned look towards Choerry and Chaewon who looked at Seungha. The older girl looked down and turned her back and began walking. Choerry tried to speak,

"Seungha, are you-"

"Please..." Seungha muttered, "I... I need some space," she said, walking off as Choerry felt immense pain in her heart at seeing Seungha so alone, again. Chaewon huffed and walked off, muttering something about 'Stupid Olivia'. The usually cheery now looked dejected and upset, her eyes watering at the sight of seeing all her friends divided.

=======

As Seungha walked into class, she looked over and saw that Chaewon had walked ahead of her and was sitting in her usual place. Chaewon seemed to send a challenging look to Seungha, as if to see if the girl would try and move Chaewon out of the seat. Professor Taeyeon was nice enough to let her students sit where they liked, so this wasn't breaking any rules or seating plan or something. Still, Taeyeon- who was sitting at her desk, coffee mug in hand- had a look of concern. Like many students, she too feared what Seungha could do.

But Seungha looked up at Chaewon. She felt, maybe she could. Maybe she could prove that she was still powerful. But... what would that achieve? Fear? She sighed to herself and instead down where Chaewon would usually sit. Taeyeon, and the rest of the class for that matter, looked shocked. Seungha had given up? It was unheard of. The girl was relentless. She would usually never tolerate someone acting this way. Taeyeon supposed it could be because Seungha had recently befriended them. But something was clearly off. She made a mental note to talk to her later, if Seungha would let her.

Choerry arrived a little later and sat down next to... Seungha? Why did the two switch seats? She looked to the professor, who shrugged, equally confused. She sighed and tapped Seungha's arm. Everyone was now more focused on Taeyeon and what she was talking about as opposed to the small conversation between the two girls in the corner of the room that was about to happen.

"Hey...you okay?" Choerry asked.

"I...I'm sorry..." Seungha muttered as Choerry felt her heart break again. She felt so bad, anytime her friends had to apologise to her.

She put her hands on Seungha's arm, "It isn't your fault, we all snap like that sometimes, even me!" Seungha gave a doubtful look as Choerry chuckled.

"Yerim..." for some reason, Choerry felt happy that her real name was used, "I'm sorry because you guys have been so nice to me... you don't deserve me being a cold bitch..." Seungha looked away as Choerry tugged on her arm. She tried not to look at the girl, but she gave in and turned to look at Choerry.

"...why did it bother you so much? I can't help but feel we did something," Choerry said as Seungha looked at her friend.

"I... You guys... were never scared of me,"

"Huh?" Choerry said clueless as Seungha sighed.

"You guys... never showed any fear... if I'm honest... even when I wasn't friends with you, it gave me hope. Hope that maybe not everyone was scared of me. That I could make friends, again," _Again..._ that word pestered Choerry's mind as Seungha continued, "And I did... and when I got defensive over what happened between me and Jennie," again, Choerry noted how something _definitely_ happened between the two, "I... I snapped. And... you all looked so scared... my own..." Seungha hesitated as Choerry smiled.

"Friends," she confirmed, a small smile on Seungha's face as she continued.

"My own friends..." her smile fell, "...were scared of me... it's my fault,"

"No it isn't..." Choerry said, "I wasn't scared of you,"

"Then what were you?" She asked with an expression that, to Choerry, seemed visibly desperate, confused and scared. It was a wide variety of emotions she rarely saw from such a closed-off individual.

"...I was worried... for my friend," Choerry admitted, "That night we spent together? So much fun... _you_ had so much fun, and I loved seeing you so happy. Seungha," Choerry took the girl's hands as Seungha felt her face warm slightly, "You matter. To me and to Chaewon AND to Yeojin. Olivia is a little rough around the edges but that's not just because of you-"

"-Actually might be-" before Seungha could finish, Choerry squeezed the girl's hands.

"-even if it is, it'll always take time for her to warm up to others. It's just how things happen... I know you may not be ready to say what happened between you and Jennie, but know we're here for you. You can tell us when you're ready. And Also- Olivia had no reason to ask you so angrily, sure you didn't respond the best but it's clearly a still-healing wound and she ripped the bandaid off," Choerry said as Seungha gave a confused look.

"...she asked you too soon and that isn't your fault," Choerry stated as Seungha mouthed an 'Ohhhh' to this. "I'm not mad or scared of you. Yeojin is worried about you, even if she'll never admit it... and Chaewon-"

"Talk to her," Taeyeon cut off as the two looked up. Everyone had already begun the set assignments. Taeyeon took a seat on their desk and smiled, "Better to talk things out than let them boil over and burn you," she said as Seungha nodded with a smile.

"Thanks Miss Kim!" Choerry said as Taeyeon smiled back.

"Miss Kim," Seungha called out as she turned around.

"Yeah?" She asked as Seungha smiled.

"Don't be afraid of me, you're one of the few teachers I like," she said. The statement was enough to fill Taeyeon with some newfound energy as she smiled back brightly.

"Oh- thanks," she said as she walked back to her desk. Choerry smiled at Seungha.

"Really?" Seungha nodded as Choerry smiled. "What other teachers do you like? Are there any you find... attractive? Also guys or girls? I need to know who we're talking about,"

"I'm not into dudes," for some reason, the information made Choerry very happy, "But that's not important, what was up with Chaewon and Olivia?" She asked as Choerry thought for a moment before a lightbulb went off in he head,"

"Oh... they argued..."

"Ah... why is this bad?" Seungha asked as Choerry shook her head.

"You don't understand. Chaewon and Olivia... kinda... like-like each other,"

"I hadn't noticed," Seungha joked sarcastically. Choerry raised an eyebrow. "That was sarcasm- I know I'm oblivious to feelings but I'm not that oblivious. So... they argued... over what,"

Choerry thought again and looked at Seungha for a concerning amount of time with a worried expression. Seungha sighed. "It's about trusting me, isn't it?" Choerry nodded and Seungha sighed again. "I'll ask Chae after class," the use of her friend's nickname made Choerry smile.

"So... you didn't answer my question," Seungha sighed.

"God this sounds like something Yeojin would ask," Seungha muttered. Choerry looked expectantly as Seungha sighed. "What am I supposed to say... I dont really find anyone attractive," Seungha said plainly as Choerry looked surprised.

"Really?" She asked with a curious tone as Seungha nodded.

"I think most people would find it weird..." Seungha muttered as Choerry shook her head.

"Not everyone in the world finds everyone attractive. Different people find different types of people attractive. And some just don't find people attractive. And that's fine!" Choerry beamed as Seungha had a small smile.

"...thanks," Seungha said as Choerry grinned.

There was something odd about Choerry to Seungha. An odd warm aura about the girl that Seungha found... intriguing. It was something she hadn't experience in a long while. As Choerry turned to focus on the lesson, Seungha looked at the girl with a small smile. She was glad that she'd given the girl a chance.

Maybe it _was_ time to trust people again.

=======

Chaewon began to slowly pack her things away as someone approached her. She threw her bag over her shoulders and turned to look at them. Her eyes widened upon seeing Seungha and looked away, her face slightly pink from embarrassment.

"I'm sorry for causing such a scene earlier..." she murmured as Seungha shook her head.

"I don't care about that... I..." God, why was it so hard for her to just tell people she was worried about them? "..I was... worried,"

"Worried?" Chaewon asked as Seungha sighed.

"I haven't known you and Olivia for too long but... I can tell you guys are close and... you've not been as close recently," she said, "I'm worried about it Chaewon. About both of you... what happened?" Chaewon sighed. They should've been out of the class by now, but Chaewon sat down on her desk. Taeyeon decided to let the two talk a little more.

"I... we argued a lot last night," she said, looking away ashamed. "It was about you," Chaewon said, carefully looking towards Seungha to read her expression. Seungha sighed, she couldn't deny, that did worry her. But she needed to hear it.

"About what specifically?"

Chaewon bit her lip in worry, "Olivia... still doesn't trust you, I don't know why but she seems angry whenever she sees you... do you know why?" Now Seungha looked down, ashamed.

"We had a Network Battle once... I... may have said some things- ugh look I was a bitch back then and Olivia has every right to distrust me, okay?" Chaewon still looked worried, "I know you may not like it. I don't exactly either. But please... talk to her,"

"Why?" Chaewon asked as Seungha sighed.

"...because when you don't talk about your problems it can get worse. It happened with me and Yuna and she moved away from me. And things are still sorta awkward between us now... please, trust me when I say this, talk to Olivia. I don't want your friendship being ruined because of my past actions. Olivia doesn't have to like me, and it's not your responsibility to make sure she does,"

"But she hasn't even given you a chan-"

"Chaewon," Seungha cut her off quietly as Chaewon's expression softened, "I'll take care of that problem... you just keep being friends with her... please, don't ruin an amazing friendship like this, I've seen too many break apart..." Chaewon walked over and put a hand on Seungha's shoulder.

"Seungha?" She asked as the other girl sighed, "What did happen between you and Jennie?" She asked as Seungha sighed.

"I... I'm not comfortable saying yet but... we were friends. Great friends. And she did something that betrayed me... and we aren't anymore- look, please just tell me you'll apologise to Olivia?" Chaewon sighed and nodded. "Thank you..."

"No problem..." Seungh sighed and looked up as Chaewon put her other hand on the girl's other shoulder. "Seungha..."

"Yeah?" She asked, looking down.

"Forget Jennie. You aren't alone anymore, you have us," she said honestly as Seungha smiled.

"Thanks," she said. Chaewon pulled the girl in for a hug as Seungha accepted it. What neither of the two realised was Olivia standing outside the class and seeing the two hug. She balled her hand into a fist and stormed away from the class.

"Stupid Seungha... Stupid Chae..." she muttered as she did so.

=======

Sooyoung breathed a sigh of relief as she exited class and walked out onto the School Fields. The breath of fresh air as she looked out upon the green land. She then looked upon the large hill that was in the fields and the large oak tree upon it. She could make out the faint figure of a girl crouched underneath it. Concerned, she walked over slowly.

As she approached the hill, she decided to walk around it and walk up from a different angle so that the girl didn't see her. As she got closer, she could make out the sound of sobs and whimpers. She could feel her heart crack upon hearing it. She continued to walk and as she got closer, she hid behind the tree and peered around

She...

She recognised them...

Was that...

"Jinsoul?!" Sooyoung asked, rushing to her friend's side. Jinsoul looked up at her friend, her face wet with tears. Sooyoung wiped the girls face with her hands as the girl continued to sob. Immediately, Sooyoung wrapped her arms around the crying girl as Jinsoul wept into Sooyoung's shoulder. Sooyoung bit her lip to prevent herself from tearing up at seeing her friend so weak.

"Oh my god- what happened?" Sooyoung asked as Jinsoul sniffled and broke apart from the girl. She looked at her friend with teary eyes.

"N-Nothing..." Sooyoung sighed.

"You and Jungeun fought again, didn't you?" Sooyoung asked as Jinsoul muttered a yes and began sobbing again.

"It's all my fault!" She cried as Sooyoung brought her friend in for another hug. "We were arguing about stuff and yelling- Oh God there was so much yelling a-and I said some stuff I shouldn't have and- Oh God she must hate me!" She wept as Sooyoung bit her lip again. Something about seeing her best friend so weak kept hurting her.

"No no! It isn't," she said, pulling apart again, "Look, a lot is happening for both of you. And I know it hurts but you would never intentionally hurt Jungeun's feelings, and she would never hurt yours either," she reassured her friend who still didn't look convinced.

"Things are just... so confusing right now," she sighed defeatedly. Sooyoung took her friend's hands. "I love her Sooyoung, I really do..." she choked out sadly, her voice weak, "But I keep hurting her. Something isn't working... why are things so hard?"

Sooyoung sighed, "Sometimes things just happen. But I know this isn't a permanent thing. You both love each other. And you'll get though this hardship, together,"

"How?" She asked with tearful eyes.

"You'll both find a way, I know you both will," She said as Jinsoul sniffled. Sooyoung sat next to her friend as the two looked across the fields in front of them. The cool winds of the day blowing gently across as they stayed under the dark shade of the tree.

"Thanks..." Jinsoul said as Sooyoung smiled, turning her head to look at her friend.

"I'm always here for you," Jinsoul nodded contently before looking down at her lap.

"So..."

"No, I still haven't asked Jiwoo out," Jinsoul whined as Sooyoung laughed.

=======

Haseul stared at her laptop, several headlines and articles visible on the screen. Her eyes scanned each one, all of them containing one keyword.

**_'Icarus'_ **

She still couldn't shake or move past that night. Ever since she had kept tabs on every case related to them. The most recent case had bothered her. Why was it a failure? Icarus didn't do failure. Every time someone got attacked, they died or disappeared. She was concerned for the victim and their sister, especially since that sister went to their school. She sighed.

"Something is off... I can feel it..." she muttered as she continued reading through the articles. She was then interrupted when the door was opened. She turned to ser Vivi, who wore a worried expression. Haseul shot a concerned look.

"Vivi- what's wrong?" She asked as Vivi shook her head.

"Yeojin is in the medical wing, someone attacked her-" but before Vivi could explain, Haseul was long gone and running to the medical wing. She sighed, running after her friend.

"YEOJIN?!" Haseul yelled, bursting into the medical office. She looked and saw Doctor Hoseok next to her. He sent a bright smile as she rushed to Yeojin's side. Yeojin herself seemed to have a bandage wrapped around the portion of her face where her nose was. Yeojin groaned as Haseul began attacking her with several questions.

"Ohmygodareyouokay?! What happened? What were you thinking? Who did this? Who attacked you? Oh god, are you okay? Are you sure all your wounds are healed? Why would anyone do this, do you need me to fight them? Because know, I'm willing to throw hands-" Vivi appeared behind Haseul and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Haseul, calm down-"

"YOU CALM DOWN!" She yelled as Vivi was taken back. Upon realising she yelled at her crush, Haseul began backtracking. "O-Oh, what I meant to say was-"

But instead, Vivi giggled, "No no, it's fine. I was the one who surprised you," she smiled as Yeojin sat baffled at how nice Vivi was to Haseul. She coughed to get their attention. Haseul looked to Doctor Hoseok who seemed to cower slightly under Haseul's glare.

"What happened?" She asked as he gulped.

"Well... you see..."

"Lisa decked me in the face," Yeojin said as he nodded.

"She _what?_ " Haseul said.

"One of Jennie's goons, I'm familiar," Vivi slowly nodded as Haseul's face was contorted with anger.

"Hehe... Haseul, sis-"

"Wait you two are sisters? That's not on the medical files!" Hoseok said as Yeojin rolled her eyes and ignored him.

"What are you planning?" She asked Haseul who's hand balled into a fist.

"I'm gonna kick her ass," she said, storming out to find Lisa as Vivi sighed. Yeojin meanwhile seemed very excited. She tried to get up but stumbled and held her face in pain.

"Agh! I should've gotten Chae to heal me, your potions and medicines suck," she said as Hoseok looked offended.

"Hey! Medical science has gone far. In a few minutes, that broken nose of yours will be completely healed, it will look just like it did before!" He said as she rolled her eyes. Vivi walked over, her hands glowing a soft pink as Yeojin felt all the pain alleviate from her nose. She thanked Vivi, ripped the bandages off her nose and ran to go find Haseul.

"Hey... are those two really sisters?" Hoseok asked as Vivi shook her head.

"Yeojin's parents were rarely around when she was younger, they both held jobs to support their family but could rarely spend time with Yeojin. She would hang out with Haseul a lot, and eventually, the two were inseparable, even as they grew older. Haseul was like the older sister Yeojin never had. Yeojin's parents are still neglectful and rarely speak to their daughter, but Yeojin doesn't mind. She has Haseul to look after her," Vivi smiled warmly before taking after the two.

Hoseok smiled to himself. "Aww that's so nice," he said to himself before remembering something, "Oh yeah- I should report this incident to the principal..." he muttered as he walked over to his computer.

=======

"So what? Come on, I don't have all day," Lisa said, punching the wall behind a younger student. They cowered as Lisa towered over them. Haseul scowled upon seeing the sight and stormed over. The younger student seemed to notice and looked at her with a pleading look. Haseul grabbed Lisa's wrist and pulled her away, activating her ability with glowing green eyes and green electricity crackling around her. Lisa was thrown onto the floor as Haseul stood above her. Lisa smirked and stood up, dusting herself off. The younger looked between the two as Yeojin yelled to them.

"Yiren! Scram!" She said as Yiren nodded and ran off before Lisa could do anything else.

"God, what the hell do you want Jo?" Lisa asked as Haseul rolled her eyes, "The little prick snitched on me?" She said, glaring at the short girl in question, who only stuck her tongue out.

"What I _want_ is for you to apologise to Yeojin," Haseul said, "Do that and I'll leave you alone," she said as the taller girl scoffed.

"Or what? I ain't apologising, your little bitchy sis insulted Jen- you know how we deal with brats like her," she said, smirking.

"Well, if it's Jennie she insulted, then I have no idea why you got so defensive. Face it," Vivi looked to the floor and had what seemed to be a sorrowed expression, "No one can like that girl..."

Lisa's hand balled into a fist. She was hesitant to say or address the number one, so she didn't. "Look Jo, bottom line I ain't apologising. So go fuck off back to your brat and your bitch," she said, turning around. Haseul grinned.

"I was hoping you'd go with that," Lisa's eyes widened as she turned around, "I wanted an excuse to kick your ass. Network Battle- you and me," the short-haired girl said as Lisa cackled.

" _Really?_ You and your pathetic level of 4.2 against me? That's so unfair, not even I'd fight an opponent so pitiful," Lisa dismissed the girl, "Nah, I'll let you keep your pretty face,"

"Thank you for the compliment!" Haseul barked as Yeojin facepalmed, "But- I don't care. We're fighting, and I ain't letting up until you agree,"

Lisa sighed, annoyed. "Fine. I'll fight you and your sorry ass," she said. "Lunchtime. I'll invite a few students to watch me kick your pathetic ass," she turned around and waved as she walked off, "See you later, dead meat,"

Yeojin looked towards Haseul with an impressed look. "Damn sis, didn't realise you had it in you. But are you really gonna kick her ass?" Yeojin asked as Haseul smirked.

"Course I am. Now... are you sure you're okay?" Haseul asked worriedly as Yeojin groaned loudly.

=======

Choerry smiled as she saw her raven-haired friend. She heard Seungha had already spoken to Chaewon and wanted to speak to Olivia herself. She saw the girl quietly staring off out into the distance through a corridor window. She slowly approached the girl, quietly walking down the stairs. Lunch had rolled around so most students were out of the halls. She turned around the corner and crouched, slowly waddling her way towards the girl. As she went behind Olivia, she shot up and put her hands around her eyes.

"Guess wh-" Choerry felt a strong hand on her neck as she was slammed against the lockers.

"WHO ARE YOU AND- wait... Choerry?!" Olivia gasped as Choerry smiled through the pain, "Oh my god- you idiot!" She let go as Choerry dropped to the ground coughing. Olivia knelt down to her level, "Sorry! God, don't sneak up on me like that,"

"Sorry... how are you?" She asked as Olivia sighed.

"Fine- look, just go see Seungha, Chae and Yeojin, I'm fine and want to be left alone. I'm sorry about it but I don't need to speak to you,"

Choerry furrowed her brow, "What- no, I want to speak to you," she said as Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Choerry?" She said, staring the girl down.

"Yes?" She asked, with hopeful eyes.

"Take your sunny ass and fuck off," she spat turning around and about to walk off until she saw their reflections in the window. Choerry was looking down and looked... teary-eyed?! Olivia's eyes widened as she sighed. She walked back and sat down next to Choerry. And then she did something that surprised the girl.

"What did you do that for?" Choerry said as she looked at Olivia's face. There was a red hand mark. The girl slapped herself.

"I'm sorry about what I said... I'm sorry for throwing you against the lockers... I'm just a little..."

"Bothered?" Olivia nodded. Choerry took the girl's hands and stood up with her. Olivia got up and stood in front of the girl. Choerry beamed as Olivia raised an eyebrow. She then felt herself thrusted into a warm hug with the girl. She returned the hug and felt Choerry's warmth radiate onto her body. She didn't know if it was the girl's ability or if she was just a good hugger, but a hug from Choerry was enough to make anyone feel better.

"How about we just hang out? Take a break from today's drama?" Choerry asked, pulling apart.

Olivia smirked, "What drama? I'm just going to hang out with one of my best friends," She said as Choerry excitedly gasped at the statement.

"Now you're getting it!" She said, as the two turned around and began walking. She quickly brought out her phone and messaged Seungha.

 _**Choerry🍒:** _ _Sorry :( she_ _doesn't_ _wanna talk_

 _**Choerry🍒** _ _:_ _I'm_ _gonna go hang out_ _with_ _her_

 _ **Choerry🍒**_ _: Wolfie is sad and_ _I'm_ _going_ _to make wolfie happy! :D_

 _**Seungha** _ _: K_ _I'll_ _tell Chaewon and Yeojin_

 _**Choerry🍒:** _ _Thx bestie!_

=======

Irene rushed to Haseul's side as she began walking towards the Network Battle Arena. Seulgi and Wendy had both come to watch the battle, but she was concerned about it happening in the first place. Irene, being the vice president of the Student Body Council, was a fan of the tasks Choerry would call "boring" or "unfun". She found such words preposterous, "Who doesn't like admin?!" She would say incredulously. She also considered that Choerry would be all happy and sunshine and cheer on her friend. But she couldn't let this happen.

"Haseul! Are you sure you've thought things through?!" She demanded as she walked close to the three. Yeojin rolled her eyes as Vivi frowned.

"Yes. Irene. I'm fine!" Haseul asserted, throwing her arms up in the air before continuing her walk down to the Arena. Irene groaned.

"I am _not_ letting another member get hurt by Lisa- you know that because of Rosé and Jisoo as Jennie's corrupted figures in the council, we can't do much. So just surrender before you can, I'm sure they'll-"

" _No!_ I'm not doing this for my sake, but for Yeojin's! Lisa's been a massive dick to everyone, and it's about time someone called her out and kicked her ass!" She yelled frustratedly. Irene huffed and looked to Vivi, hoping the Number one would or could help her.

"Vivi, please tell her," Irene said as Vivi sighed.

"Fine," Irene breathed a sigh of relief. She was so glad that the number one most powerful student, the best of the best, the one on top, was such a responsible and reasonable person. She was proud that people in her school can be reasonable and sort things out by talking instead of an uncivilized fight. As the Number sixth student in the Top Ten rankings, she had always wanted to be the number one, but knowing such a prestigious position was given to the most powerful and most sensible individual gave her a sense of comfort-

"Hey Haseul. Kick ass." She said as Haseul's face went a pink tint as she smiled.

" _ **What?!"**_ Irene exclaimed as Yeojin snickered. Vivi looked at the 'number six' student darkly.

_**Bae Joohyun: No. 6**_

"Irene, stop. Haseul's right. Lisa has been gone unchecked for so long. It's about time someone took a more physical action instead of condemning it. So what Rosé and Jisoo are in the council? You know they hate Jennie as much as we do. Their hands are tied unless someone takes action outside of the Council's agenda. Haseul isn't just doing it because Lisa's been a menace, but because Lisa hurt her sister. This gives us an opportunity to close in on and prevent Lisa from being able to do this again. So for once stop being so scared, you're in the Top Ten for bleeding sake!" She said as Irene winced.

"Fine... kick assorwhateveridontcare..." she muttered as Haseul grinned. She walked over and bear-hugged Irene. The girl yelped, swearing she heard a few bones crack.

"I WON'T LET YOU DOWN IRENE!" she yelled as she dropped the girl onto the floor and ran off.

=======

Jungeun flipped the page as she continued to study by herself. She was sitting alone, head buried in the books she surrounded herself with. As she continued to read through the material of the book, she heard the joyous sound of laughter pierce her comfortable silence. She looked up and moved her head around confusion. She got up and walked over, looking through the gap between books on the shelf.

"Jinsoul?..." she muttered quietly as the girl in question laughed whilst surrounded by friends. She smiled upon seeing the girl so happy, she felt on cloud nine anytime she could see the girl smile.

However, things changed as her friends began to speak more.

"So, Soul, planning to join us this weekend? They asked as she laughed awkwardly.

 _"We're supposed to go on a beach date..."_ she thought to herself.

"Haha... no, I have a date with Jungeun-"

"Oh, come on! This is a big thing! Wooyoung and San are in town for the first time in years!" One of them said as Jungeun frowned.

"They are?" Jinsoul said as another friend nodded.

"Come on girl, we haven't seen them in ages," she said as Jinsoul bit her lip in worry.

"N-No, I haven't been spending as much time with Jungeun! Please, besides, San and Wooyoung have always been supportive of us two, they'll understand,"

"Pfft. If you say so, god they'll be so disappointed..." one muttered as another muttered something similar.

"God, it's like we aren't even friends anymore..." Jinsoul closed her eyes.

"Shut up..." she muttered quietly, but they either ignored her or didn't hear her. Jungeun felt her heart crack upon seeing the girl under so much pressure.

"God- come on," one said, leaning in, "Just this once? For us?"

"Fine... I'll go! I can't wait to see Wooyoung and San again!" She said as her friends celebrated, but Jungeun could tell the girl was lying. She held her head low and walked over back to her books.

She didn't blame Jinsoul but... a part of her was disappointed that Jinsoul didn't fight back or defend herself.

She missed her girlfriend and this weekend would've been a great relaxing event for them both after all the arguments they'd had.

But of course, nothing is perfect.

=======

Lisa smirked to herself as she saw Haseul approach. Haseul could only groan in annoyance at the person who joined her.

"Oh my gosh! Are _you_ the one challenging Lisa? My my... what a shitshow," she sneered. "Tell her about the votes, Lisa," she said as Lisa walked closer, the malicious and annoying grin being stuck to her face.

"So... did you know this was a thing? Apparently when the matches are being set up, there's an option to bet on who'd win. Of course no money is involved. But still, why don't we look at the pre-match voting, eh?" She asked with a sneer as they looked up.

_**'Manoban Lisa- 30 votes'** _

_**'Jo Haseul - 6 votes'**_ Haseul at the stands to see Vivi and Yeojin give her a happy friendly wave. She also noticed some new student she didn't recognise, Irene, Seulgi and Wendy look her way. She nodded in Irene's direction who sighed but also gave her a tired but sincere smile. Seulgi grinned and waved as Wendy gave her a thumbs up.

"Of course those idiots support you... isn't that Seungha's sister?!" Jennie muttered the last part as Haseul's eyes fell upon the last one. She could see a resemblance. She gave a thumbs up towards Haseul who then returned the thumbs up. "Tch, whatever," Jennie walked off back to the stands, Vivi glared as she walked past.

"Don't think your petty stunt did anything..." she warned as Jennie looked down to the ground.

"Nice to see someone's memory was as sharp as ever..."

"I'll never forget what you did..." Vivi said unusually coldly, only to turn around and cheer Haseul on. Yuna looked to Jennie, who seemed to have a hurt and bitter look on her face. She rubbed her arm and walked off. _'Why is_ _there_ _so_ _much_ _drama_ _in this school?'_ She complained to herself. As Lisa and Haseul prepared for the fight ahead, Yuna looked to Irene and Vivi.

"Hey... what does it mean when people say you're the number one and six? Usually Chaeryeong would explain but she's busy catching up with some work,"

Irene smiled, loving any opportunity to show off her vast intellect, "The school ranks students based on total Network Battle victories and their levels and stats in general. It helps to determine the stronger and weaker students. Me and Vivi are in the top ten- I'm ranked number six and Vivi is the strongest, the number one,"

Yuna stared in awe. "Wow! So where does my sis rank? Seungha?" Irene and Vivi shared looks that made Yuna worried.

"She... had herself removed," Vivi said, rubbing her arm as Yuna looked very bewildered.

"W-what? Removed? Why-"

"Oh wow!" Irene interjected, "They're starting,"

Lisa smirked, her hands glowing a hot orange. "Hope you're ready to be burnt _Haseul_ ," She sneered as Haseul scoffed, her eyes glowing green as green electricity crackled around her.

"You lost the moment you accepted my challenge,"

As the system AI announced the battle, Lisa fired a ball of orange fire. Haseul dashed out the way in a green blur as the blast hit the wall and exploded, sending pieces of debris and dust flying.

 **Lalisa Manoban - Firefist**  
 **Lisa's** **hands** **glow hot with orange,** **explosive** **energy. She can** **deliver** **empowered** **explosive** **punches** **and** **fire off balls of energy that** **explode** **on impact.**

**Power - 9**

**Speed - 6**

**Defence - 4**

**Medical - 2**

**Skill - 8**

**Range - 8** ****

**Overall Level - 6.7**

**Jo Haseul - Stat Shift**  
 **Haseul can shift her stats around to boost** **each** **one.** **Whilst** **her** **base** **level** **and** **stats are low, she can boost different ones (up to 3) for** **different** **effects.** **She** **can boost her physical strength with** **power** **, her** **speed** **with speed, she can** **create** **a** **defensive** **aura** **around her to block attacks by** **boosting** **her** **defense** **stat or heal herself by** **boosting** **her medical stat. Oddly her range stat being boosted gives her the odd** **ability** **of** **foresight**

**Power - 3 (+4 = 6)**

**Speed - 3 (+4 = 6)**

**Defence - 3 (+4 = 6)**

**Medical - 3 (+4 = 6)**

**Skill - 10**

**Range - 3 (+4 = 6)** ****

**Overall Level - 4.2**

**Overall Altered Level when 3 stats are boosted - 6.2**

Lisa scowled and fired another blast as Haseul dodged this one too. As she continued firing blasts, Haseul kept dodging. _'She_ _clearly_ _hasn't_ _checked_ _what my_ _ability_ _is..._ _I'm_ _always_ _gonna_ _be a head start-_ _I've_ _currently_ _boosted_ _my power, speed_ _and_ _range stats, so_ _I'll_ _have an_ _advantage_ _, of course she_ _doesn't_ _know that'_ Haseul smirked to herself as she dashed towards Lisa and punched her stomach. Lisa inhaled sharply as the fist jabbed her.

She raised her own and hit Haseul square in the face, sending her flying as a fiery explosion was seen. As she was flying, she grabbed onto a stray rock blown out from Lisa's blasts from earlier. She was able to use it to anchor herself back to the ground using her enhanced strength. As she let go shortly, the rock spun slightly and was lifted from the ground. Haseul smirked, and as she landed she kicked the rock towards Lisa.

"Wow! Did not expect that!" Yuna yelled as Yeojin smirked. Lisa spat and charged another blast and fired, blowing the rock up. Several smaller shards of rock flew past her, one scratching her cheek and one actually hitting her abdomen. She looked down to the rock as her blood flowed from the wound. She cursed as Haseul dashed towards her again. She needed a plan.

She knelt down and touched the ground with her fingers. Vivi was confused but as she saw the same orange energy from Lisa's hands flowing into the earth, she quickly caught on. Before she could say anything, as Haseul closed in, the ground beneath Lisa erupted into fire and debris as she was knocked backwards into the wall. Lisa meanwhile was launched into the air. She held her hands behind her and fired an explosive blast, boosting herself forward and landing on top of Haseul's worn out, bruised and injured body. She then raised her fist and made it collide with Haseul's face, a much smaller, but very fiery explosion could be seen. She continued to lay punches onto Haseul's body despite her already being down. Vivi covered her mouth in concern as Irene's hands shook in her lap as they were balled into fists. Seulgi moved her hands to hold her girlfriend's and looked over to Haseul in concern. Even some of the students who voted for Lisa looked sorry for her.

Lisa leant in to whisper to Haseul, deciding to taunt the girl.

"God you are so pathetic. I mean really," she punched her stomach, "You thought you could beat me? Nice," she kicked her, "I guess I can show Yeojin what happens to snitches, I won't have to worry about her big sister," as Haseul tried to stand, Lisa backhanded her, sending her back to the ground, "Oooh and what about Vivi? She looked pretty into me if you ask me," she grinned cockily, standing above Haseul's battered body. "Maybe I'll show her what I'm made of, give her a good time. Besides, why would someone as hot as her waste her time with you? You're worthless and powerless, you'll never win, you'll never beat me. You're little loved one is _mine,"_ Haseul felt something snap inside of her.

 _You're_ _worthless..._

 _Her mind_ _wondered_ _back to those_ _nights_ _after her brother died. How she cried. How she berated_ _and_ _insulted herself._

 _"_ _You're_ _useless!" Haseul_ _cried_ _, her fist colliding_ _with_ _the_ _mirror_ _but_ _nothing_ _breaking. "_ _You're_ _own baby brother died_ _and_ _you did_ _nothing_ _!" She felt her hands go weak as she held_ _her_ _face_ _and let the tears flow. "_ _I'm_ _p-pathetic," she choked out, the moonlight seeping in from the window making her tears glow, "_ _You're_ _worthless..." she_ _muttered_ _to herself in the dark._

 _You're_ _powerless..._

 _"_ _I'm_ _sorry Haseul... but_ _there's_ _nothing_ _I_ _can do," Officer Wang- Jackson as Haseul had_ _gotten_ _to know- told her, "I_ _can't_ _begin any official investigations into Icarus._ _Everything_ _is_ _being_ _transferred to higher-ups._ _Every_ _case is_ _cold..._ _I'm_ _sorry kid," he_ _said_ _, sitting on_ _the_ _swing next to the one Haseul was on. He looked_ _concerned_ _at the girl's silence. "Haseul? Kid?" Haseul stood up, face low. That_ _hurt_ _for Jackson. "Look, Haseul,_ _I_ _want to avenge your brother as much as you-"_

 _"No... you_ _don't_ _..."_

_"Haseul, I-"_

_"You_ _don't_ _understand_ _!" She screamed as she ran off. Jackson tried_ _running_ _after her._

 _"Haseul, PLEASE! I wish_ _I could_ _do_ _something_ _,_ _I've_ _lost and seen_ _more_ _dead_ _kids_ _than_ _I'd_ _like to_ _remember_ _,_ _I_ _don't_ _want anymore to_ _die_ _. Please..._ _I'm_ _as angry as you,"_

 _"_ _You'll_ _never_ _understand_ _!" She said,_ _turning_ _around, tears streaming down her_ _face_ _. "My brother is dead! And you_ _can't_ _do_ _anything_ _?" He_ _stayed_ _silent, not_ _knowing_ _what the_ _right answer_ _was, or if it was even_ _possible_ _or true. "_ _You're_ _powerless_ _..._ _I'm_ _powerless..." she said,_ _dropping_ _to_ _her knees._

 _You'll_ _never win..._ _You'll_ _never beat me_

_Never win..._

_Never_ _beat me..._

 _Haseul looked at her_ _mirror_ _with a_ _determined_ _look. She looked at a_ _photo_ _in her_ _hand_ _, a_ _picture_ _of her and_ _her family_ _. Her_ _parents_ _were on_ _either_ _side_ _and_ _Haseul and her brother_ _were_ _standing_ _side_ _by_ _side. She_ _laughed_ _at seeing_ _how_ _he rested an arm on_ _top of_ _her_ _head_ _, mocking her for her_ _short_ _height_ _._ _But she_ _couldn't_ _help_ _but_ _grin_ _._ _Even_ _if it was a joke, she_ _would_ _do_ _anything_ _for these memories_ _to_ _become a_ _reality_ _again._

 _She_ _felt_ _tears_ _fall, but_ _she_ _wiped_ _them_ _off her face. She was going to solve the_ _mystery_ _of Icarus, and avenge her_ _brother_ _. Others_ _had_ _tried, but she had_ _something_ _they_ _didn't_ _. Determination. She would win. She would beat them._

"I... I will win..." Haseul said as Lisa laughed. She then shifted her stats to her medical and defense stats. Lisa tried kicking her, but her attack was blocked by the defensive green aura around her. Lisa took a few steps back as Haseul grinned, her wounds slowly healing and disappearing off of her body. Vivi smiled brightly at seeing the girl stand.

"The next thing you'll say is 'Impossible! I kicked your ass into oblivion!' Am I right?" Haseul smirked.

"Impossible! I kicked your ass into oblivion!" Lisa's eyes widened as Haseul smirked. Everyone was confused, the arena had an artificial forcefield between the stands and arena and created a dome as well. It kept the fights close and prevented external damage to the surroundings. It also blocked out noise. So they had no idea why Lisa was so shocked.

"Well, my ability doesn't just boost my strength and speed, it shifts my stats. Of course, I can only keep 3 boosted at once," she said. _'Speed and strength_ _won't_ _help me if_ _I_ _only rely on them._ _I'll_ _keep_ _my defense and speed up_ _to get_ _close to her and when I_ _get_ _close_ _enough_ _, I drop the defence for_ _strength_ _!'_ And so Haseul ran ahead, her speed boosting her. Lisa was now taken aback. She had no idea what stats Haseul had boosted. Only 3? But which ones? But before she could come up with an answer, she was met with a sharp jab to the stomach. Haseul dashed past her and elbowed her back, sending her flying to the ground. Haseul then stomped on her back several times before turning her over, and delivering several lightning fast punches to her abdomen and chest. As Lisa's body lay bruised, Haseul took one last step and punched her face, knocking her out instantly.

 ** _'Winner- Jo Haseul'_** people looked surprised and shocked, Irene included as Vivi and Yuna smiled as Yeojin stood up.

"WHOOP! OH YEAH! GET SERVED ASSWIPES!" She said as the rest of the crowd began murmuring.

_"The hell did Lisa say?"_

_"Whatever it was, it sealed her defeat,"_

_"Damn, she kicked ass,"_

_"She looked hot when_ _doing_ _it..."_ some girl muttered as Vivi found herself looking at Haseul and muttering in agreement. Yeojin caught on and snickered. Instead of continuing to make fun of Vivi, she ran down to high five Haseul.

=======

As Haseul sat on a bench in the entrance corridor to the arena, she saw a silhouette approach her. She had already had her wounds healed by Vivi, and Lisa had her's healed by Rosé, who apparently was at the match. As the tall silhouette got closer, Haseul recognised who it was.

"Oh, hey Lisa," Haseul said.

"Hey..." She muttered as Haseul raised an eyebrow.

"What do you want?" She asked as Lisa sighed.

"I wanna say sorry... I didn't mean some of those things I said," the girl admitted. Now Haseul was even more intrigued. Lisa always had such a tough demeanor, but seeing her so honest and... almost vulnerable? It threw her off.

"What do you mean?"

"You're not worthless or powerful... I don't know why, but those words seemed to cause something to spark in you. Again, I don't know why that was- but it's clearly something super personal. I'm sorry if that offended you," Haseul nodded and looked away, "And I'm sorry about what I said about Vivi, I was only doing that to taunt you- I don't actually like her that way, she's hot but I'm not into her," She said as Haseul sighed.

"Not gonna apologise for hitting Yeojin?" Lisa's fist clenched. Her eyes darted behind her as she looked down.

"I would but... _my_ _hands_ _are tied,"_ Haseul's own eyes looked behind Lisa to see another smaller, faint silhouette. She realised it could've only been one person. She looked back at Lisa and smiled. She stood up and shook the girl's hand.

"Wow- thanks Lisa! It's okay, all is forgiven! I'm sure Yeojin isn't too mad- I get she can get pretty annoying sometimes, it's okay," Haseul said, beaming, saying it all quite loudly. Lisa looked confused as Haseul whispered slightly quieter, through a tight smile. _"I_ _haven't_ _forgiven you completely. Stay in your lane and away from Yeojin. If_ _you get_ _close to her_ _I_ _will_ _kick_ _you ass again, got it?"_ She nodded as Haseul beamed. "See you later!" She waved as Lisa walked back to the figure in the background.

They smirked, "Told you- that idiot is too forgiving and kind for her own good. Yeojin deserved what happened, you shouldn't have to apologise for that," she said.

"Jennie," Lisa said as Jennie scoffed, "I broke her nose-"

"So what? It's better now. Besides," a finger was on her neck as Jennie traced it down to her chest, "You did it for me... you wouldn't let anyone hurt me, would you?" She asked as Lisa smiled with a pink tint on her face.

"No... I would never,"

"Good," she said, retracting her finger and walking off. Lisa sighed. She did feel bad about what happened. She mentioned to Jennie she wanted to apologise but... the girl denied her request. She mentioned she said some other stuff during the match, and asked if she could apologise for that which Jennie allowed. Haseul seemingly played along and made it look like it Lisa hadn't apologised for Yeojin and only what happened.

However, Haseul felt bad for Lisa. She didn't and wouldn't forgive the girl however. Not until she built up enough courage to stop letting Jennie play around with her.

=======

Seungha looked anxiously at the door. She didn't know what awaited behind it. She looked back at her phone in hand, and saw the email Namjoon left, and then the dorm number on the door. No doubt about it... this was her new place. She had already packed most of her things earlier in the morning and now she was about to see her roommates. She shook her head. Her only hope was that they weren't scared of her. She unlocked the door with the key Namjoon gave her.

"They're here!" A high pitched voice said as she heard a groan.

"Why do we have to have a new roommate... I want Chaewon back," Seungha's eyes widened. _Was that Olivia?_

"Just do whatever you were doing. The last thing they want is someone staring at them like they're about to eat them and someone talking as if they got dumped and want their girlfriend back,"

"She isn't my girlfriend!"

"I _am not_ staring like that-" as Seungha had fully opened the door, she looked at them. She looked around as the others looked surprised. Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Fuck this," she muttered, picking up her jacket off of the sofa and walking back to her room. Seungha looked to the other two. The shorter one dashed in front of her and extended a hand.

"Hi! My name is Jiwoo! Nice to meet Chuu! She said as Seungha nodded slowly. "I already know who you are!" She giggled, "Everyone does, you're Zero!" Seungha shook her head.

"That's not my real name... it's a name people made up for me," she said as Jiwoo 'oh'd at it.

"Silly me!" She laughed as Seungha caught herself smiling.

"Hey," Sooyoung said, looking up from her book. Seungha nodded in her direction. "Name's Sooyoung,"

"Seungha, my _real_ name is Shin Seungha, but of course I think you're all vaguely familiar with who I am,"

"Who isn't?" Sooyoung muttered, continuing to read her book. Seungha looked at the space where Olivia was standing.

"Did... something happen before I got here?" She asked as Jiwoo sighed.

"Our other roommate, Chaewon, you might not know her-" Jiwoo began.

"Nope, I'm friends with her," Seungha clarified. At that moment, almost everyone could sense Olivia's silent fury at that statement. They all looked between each other in silence. Jiwoo coughed to relieve the tension.

"...yes, she left because she had a disagreement with Olivia," Jiwoo said as Seungha nodded. Jiwoo noticed how Seungha seemed bothered, and grabbed the girl's arm. "Come on! I'll show you your new room!" The girl beamed as Seungha felt herself get dragged to her room. Sooyoung had to admit, the supposed Ice Queen was a lot more emotive than people made her out to be. Maybe things would get more interesting around here.

=======

The four of them at the table, ready to eat their dinners. Things were awkward and quiet to say the least. Olivia kept death glaring Seungha, who in response kept up an icy and unreadable cold look as she emotionlessly ate her dinner. Sooyoung tried to focus on eating, but the tension was too high. Jiwoo kept smiling as her eyes darted between Olivia and Seungha.

With a beaming smile, she said, "I am very uncomfortable with the energy we have created at this table,"

"You gonna keep staring at me like that?" Seungha asked, not looking up. Olivia continued to glare.

"Depends, how do you feel?"

"Uncomfortable," Seungha replied, not missing a beat.

"Good," Olivia said, crossing her arms in response. Seungha rolled her eyes and stood up. Olivia raised an eyebrow as Seungha sighed, her expression dropping as she looked at Olivia.

"Olivia... Hyejoo?-"

"You can't call me that,"

"I don't care- look, you have a problem," Olivia scoffed as Seungha glared, "Seriously, Chaewon is upset, go fix the problem,"

"Or what? Gonna kick my ass a second time? Gonna tell me how 'pathetic' and 'weak' I am a second time? Gonna keep your secrets from us despite supposedly being a better person?" She said, standing up and emphasising every statement. Seungha, whilst not showing it, was hurt by those words. She sighed, her expression unchanged and unphased.

"I don't care what you think of me, but if you really want to show Chaewon you value her as a friend- Go apologise for whatever you said to her that caused this. I've already spoken to her,"

"Yeah... you two seemed _real best friends,_ all huggy and-" Seungha's face turned pink, "Yeah that's right, I saw the hug,"

"Look! She hugged me and it was to show she appreciated my advice! It's not that I like hugs or anythingshutuphugsarestupid-"

"Oh my God the ice queen likes hugs," Sooyoung said, mildly astounded as Jiwoo grinned at that information.

"NO I DON'T!" Seungha barked back as Olivia seemed very confused at how the conversation ended up here.

"Look," Seungha began, "Chaewon _really_ cares about you. She isn't mad at you... but herself. You need to go and sort this mess out, the last thing I want is for me to ruin such a strong friendship," she muttered quietly as Olivia was taken aback. The girl huffed and walked over to the door. She stopped once she was in front of it. Without turning around, she spoke to Seungha.

"Just because you helped me... don't think we're friends or anything but... thanks, or whateverIdon'tcare," she said, opening the door and closing it behind her. Jiwoo looked over to Seungha with a terrifyingly large grin. Seungha looked at the girl awkwardly and rubbed the back of her head.

"Haha... what?" Sooyoung raised an eyebrow, interested in what Jiwoo was going to do.

"You like hugs?" Seungha's face turned red.

"No!" She said as Jiwoo giggled, Seungha looking away.

"Look, Miss I-see-that-I'm-Icy, theres nothing to worry yourself about, it's totally normal to want a hug,"

"I don't want one," Seungha said, crossing her arms and turning her head away. Jiwoo stood up and opened her arms.

"Come on~" she teased as Seungha rolled her eyes. She kept her eyes off of Jiwoo, but found herself looking at how welcoming it looked. She huffed, turning around and accepting the hug. Jiwoo squeezed the girl tightly.

"Your hugs are warm," Seungha muttered.

"I hereby give you permission to hug me whenever you want- you too Sooyoungie!" She said, beaming at the girl. Sooyoung smiled.

 _Thank_ _you_ _Seungha for this great_ _gift_ _..._ To Sooyoung, the ability to hug Jiwoo whenever she wanted was something she would greatly cherish.

=======

Chaewon tiredly made her way to the door as she prepared to see who was behind it. As she opened it, she was greeted by a certain... by her favourite, raven-haired girl.

"Hi... Chae..."

**=======**

It had been a few days since Seungha had moved into the dorm. Since then things were definitely more interesting. Jiwoo had welcomed the girl with open arms and hugs and tried to make Seungha feel as welcomed as possible. Sooyoung meanwhile seemed to be mostly relaxed around Seungha. She didn't care too much about what Seungha was like or anything for that matter. The girl seemed more content with worrying about her own matters, and Seungha couldn't blame her for that.

Meanwhile Olivia... the girl had been very distant. Seungha could recall how she didn't say anything when the two were near each other. Olivia began hanging out with the group again, but she still didn't speak as much to Seungha. Seungha was unsure of how Olivia felt, but she was reassured when she saw that Olivia would often visit, and sometimes stay over, at Chaewon's dorm. She was happy the two seemed close again but was still a small amount concerned with how little Olivia would talk to her.

Regardless, things were looking up. Seungha walked ahead towards their school again, Sooyoung, Chaewon and Olivia at her side. They were all in vivid conversation over yesterday night, where Chaewon had come over and crashed in their dorm.

"I'm still not even sure how it all caught on fire..." Chaewon muttered as Olivia sighed.

"Don't worry Chae,"

"Yeah, not even we know how it happens every time," Sooyoung said, raising her hand for a high five. Almost everyone seemed to not bother. Seungha looked to the other two, Chaewon muttering in an offended manner as Olivia rolled her eyes. Seungha sighed, and high-fived Sooyoung.

"Thank you," she said as Seungha shook her head and sighed.

"So... how are things between you and Jiwoo?" Chaewon asked with a raised eyebrow. Olivia laughed and high fived Chae.

Sooyoung's face went red as she looked away. "Seriously? You still haven't told her?" Olivia complained as Seungha looked quizzically between them all.

"..what's going on?" She asked.

"Oh, Sooyoung has a crush on-" Sooyoung covered her mouth with a red face.

" _Shut up!"_ She hushed as Seungha looked at her. Sooyoung sighed and walked closer and whispered to Seungha.

"You see... I kinda... have a crush on Jiwoo," she said as Seungha's eyes widened.

"Wait, really?" She said confused as Sooyoung nodded. She looked to the other two who shrugged.

"Its... kinda obvious?"

"I didn't notice..." she muttered as she heard a familiar laugh. Seungha rolled her eyes but smiled.

"Yuna," she said as Yuna beamed in her direction.

"Hey, Sis!" She said, Chaeryeong at her side. She gathered this must've been Yuna's roommate. "Yeah- you've never been the best at reading people,"

Chaeryeong looked equally as bewildered as Seungha, "I didn't know either..." she muttered as Yuna put an arm around her.

"Well, Seungha is roommates with Sooyoung, so it's more embarrassing she doesn't know. It's fine for you though," she reassured as Chaeryeong smiled. The five begin walking as they all speak amongst each other. Off in the distance, around a corner, Seungha swears she sees a small glint of light.

"Hey, aren't you the girl who can read people's powers?" Olivia said, pointing at Chaeryeong.

As they got closer, Seungha could make out a faint figure in the shadows. The small light seemed to be coming from something on them.

"Yeah... it's a pretty loser power, huh?" She said as both Olivia and Chaewon shook their heads.

"No way! It's super cool, you basically know people's strengths and weaknesses from a glance. Don't discredit yourself," Chaewon reassured as Olivia nodded. Chaeryeong smiled.

The figure seemed familiar... was that...

"Thanks... people are pretty mean to me about it..."

"People are idiots," Olivia said as Yuna nodded.

"That's what I've been saying!"

 _Jennie?_ Seungha thought to herself. And that light... it was coming from a necklace! And it looked... scarily familiar. Seungha's face darkened as she walked over to the corner to see what was happening. The others looked confusedly at her but decided to follow her. As they got closer, they could make out someone cowering beneath Jennie. Chaeryeong seemed fearful, but Yuna took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Chaeryeong looked up and smiled at the girl, who grinned back.

"So... what's happening over here?" Seungha asked. She could hear Jennie curse under her breath as she turned around. Jennie had the same malicious grin as they did when they encountered each other a few days ago.

" _Seungha_. How are you?" She said with a fake interest and a sweet venom in her voice. Crossing her arms, she smiled at them.

"Who the fuck is behind you?" Olivia asked as Jennie rolled her eyes.

"Oh right. I forgot you guys actually feel sorry for these low lives," she said in a monotone voice.

"We don't pity them. We respect them as equals,"

"Of course, of course!" She laughed. The group was definitely unsettled, Chaeryeong beginning to hide behind the taller frame of Yuna. "Hey, speaking of levels... one of my best friends-"

"Lackies," Chaewon jokingly corrected.

Jennie looking unimpressed continued, "-lost to someone with a lower level. Ignoring how embarrassing a defeat like that is, isn't it interesting? Maybe I could beat you? If our levels don't matter at all?"

"You say that, yet you still pick on people weaker than you. That match taught you nothing except more hypocritical insults," someone else said. Seungha recognised them and smiled. The others all did similarly and were shocked, to say the least.

"Hi Vivi," Seungha said as Vivi smiled back.

"Hi everyone," she said, looking at the group before looking back to Jennie. Jennie looked shocked, in Olivia's eyes almost hurt, as her eyes darted between both Seungha and Vivi. She scoffed.

"Wow, nice to see you two are all happy again," she said, now with much colder malice.

"I wasn't the one who-" Vivi began as Jennie cut her off.

" _Shut the fuck up!"_ She spat.

Seungha rolled her eyes. "God, why do you even pick on people? Just because you're stronger than them doesn't mean you deserve to walk all over them,"

Jennie rolled her eyes, "What, like someone who removed themselves from the rankings like a coward is supposed to tell me how to use my powers,"

"Well how about hearing it from me?" Vivi said. As the tensions rose, Olivia looked over to Sooyoung.

"I'm telling you, there's something between them all. Seungha isn't telling us something-"

"She isn't telling us because she isn't comfortable telling us. Remember how long it took you to tell us about your parents?" Olivia looked hurt at that statement and looked down. Sooyoung sighed. "I didn't mean it in a bad way. But have some consideration," she muttered. Chaewon meanwhile looked to Yuna.

"What's happening?"

"As if I would know, sis rarely spoke of what it was like at school. All I remember is that she used to seem really happy, but one day that happiness died," Yuna said. Chaewon nodded slowly as Olivia overheard it. She now had to find out.

She looked back to the main conversation. "You're pathetic. You use your strong powers to pick on people. Sure, your abilities are powerful and you're a rich and powerful person. Yet, your power isn't real power," Jennie's eyes widened, her hands balled into fists and shaking, "Real power is being able to use your abilities for good and not to benefit from people's suffering," Jennie looked down, "You don't have power Jennie, all you have is poison and malice,"

" _Shut the fuck up Kahei!"_ She spat out as the others looked confused. Meanwhile, Vivi and Seungha seemed shocked, and even concerned. Jennie covered her mouth with what she said.

"Jennie..." Vivi said, concern and worry evident in her voice, "...Are you ok-"

She pushed past them. "Both of you should know..." she muttered ominously, "The worst has yet to come," with that, she stormed off.

The others all looked confusedly towards the two. "Who the hell is Kahei?" Olivia asked as Vivi looked down to the ground and walked off silently.

Chaewon looked over to Seungha, "Seungha... what-"

"It doesn't matter," she said, in what was once her usual icy tone. The others seemed taken aback. Olivia realised this was similar to those days back.

"Hey guys, whatever happened bothered her. Let's give Seungha some space so she can take a breather. Seungha, we'll save a seat for you in class. Don't worry and just take your time," she said as the others nodded and walked off. Seungha looked in surprise at Olivia. But before she could say anything, Olivia cut her off.

"I didn't do it to help you. I did it so you wouldn't say something idiotic and hurt Chaewon's feelings. I don't get what the fuck your problem is, but I'll fucking find out," she spat as she walked off. Seungha nodded to herself and sighed. She then remembered that Jennie was bullying someone. She turned around to see whoever it was, they were now long gone. She noted that they must've run off whilst they were arguing. Seungha sighed to herself and walked off.

Her mind, however, kept replaying Jennie's warning.

_What did she mean?_

=======

Choerry beamed as students passed by. They all waved and smiled as they saw her. As she skipped along she saw someone she thought looked familiar. Whilst their hair looked more blue than usual, she still couldn't help but smile upon seeing her fellow council member. Rosé sent a small smile as she walked over. Choerry opened her arms and hugged the blue-haired girl.

"ROSIE!" She said as Rosé giggled.

"Hey there, Choerry," Rosé smiled as Choerry beamed at her.

"Soooo, what did you need?" Choerry asked as Rosé sighed.

"It's about... her," Rosé mumbled as her eyes averted away from making eye contact with Choerry. The other girl noticed her anxious demeanour and took her hands. Rosé looked to Choerry.

"Rosie... you can tell me. It's fine. Did she hurt?"

"What? N-No, she's pretty scary sure, but I don't think she'd ever hurt me..." she stammered as Choerry nodded, stroking Rosé's hands with her thumb as she spoke.

"Then?"

"I'm worried... what she... what Jennie will do... she seemed pretty pissed earlier when Vivi and Seungha stood up to her... I'm worried she'll go after you guys," Rosé said. Choerry nodded, taking the information in. So Seungha and Vivi spoke to Jennie? Something was up. The three must've had some form of history together. It made sense in her mind, the idea that the three strongest students all have some form of connection. She wanted to know what it was... maybe she could ask Seungha?

"I appreciate the warning, Rosie, I'll keep our guard up, but I'm sure it isn't anything too bad," She said as Rosé nodded. As Choerry walked off, the girl found herself playing with some loose strands of hair. She looked off in the direction where Choerry left.

"You should be way more worried Yerim... you have no idea what she's capable of..." Rosé muttered as she walked off, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach.

=======

Jennie sat in her seat by the window. The teacher- they had a substitute teacher since Professor Chorong was unavailable today- had long since fallen asleep in her seat and the class had descended into mindless chatter. There was little chance the woman would wake up, so some were on their phones and others were simply far too chaotic for Jennie to know what they were doing. She heard a voice from her phone in her hand.

 _"...so Kim? I_ _thought_ _you called?"_

She smirked. "Hwasa! Ugh, we need to hang out soon. I swear, this school gets so cramped with all the idiots I'm kept with," she heard the girl laugh on the other line.

 _"Oh true, they don't deserve you, Jen,"_ Jennie smirked.

"I know," she said, "So how about it?"

" _Oooh- can't today, a little busy. In a few days I should be good,"_ she said as Jennie nodded. This wasn't ideal, but she had to work with what she had.

"That's fine! I'm a little busy too so I was totally just gonna ask a few days from now anyway,"

 _"Oh nice- well I'll see you then?"_ Jennie looked across the classroom as her eyes landed on Vivi. The girl was keeping to herself with a bored expression, not hearing any of the commotions with her headphones plugged in. She felt her lips contort into a malicious grin.

"Yep! Super!" She said, hanging up. 'Kahe- Vivi, you said I didn't have real power. Well, I'll show you how power is supposed to be used. And I'll show everyone you aren't someone worthy of respect,' she thought to herself as she soon saw another number ring her.

 **_Lisa_ ** _is_ _calling_ _you..._

She felt her malicious grin disappear as a much more innocent and joyful smile appeared. Why would such a malicious person smile so innocently when talking to one of her 'lackies'? Jennie just assumed it was because Lisa respected her and that made Jennie appreciate her more than others.

Nothing more, nothing less. Lisa wasn't her friend. That's what she told herself.

=======

As classes for the day came to a halt, Seungha began heading back to the dorm. As she took her way to her dorm, she looked ahead and saw a certain raven-haired girl. Seungha felt hesitation in her legs. Should she move forward? Talk to Olivia? Would the girl mind? Or would it be better to just leave her alone? She remembered the hostility from the last time they spoke and the general way Olivia treated her- as an outsider to her group. She shook her head of those thoughts. She should at least ask how things went with Chaewon. She walked over and tapped the girl on the back. Olivia was surprised and looked. Seungha could notice the visible drop in demeanour.

"Ugh, what do you want?" She spat as Seungha sighed.

"Just wanted to ask how things went with Chaewon- they seem better,"

"Yeah... it was," She muttered remembering the night.

===

 _Chaewon looked_ _at_ _the raven-haired girl in the_ _doorway_ _. Olivia had her face looking away from her_ _and_ _her hands were in her jacket pockets. She could see the pink tint on her_ _face_ _. She_ _smiled_ _._

 _"Hey, come in," she_ _said_ _. Olivia looked_ _up_ _in surprise. She_ _didn't_ _expect_ _the blonde to be so welcoming, given how things_ _were_ _. She stepped in as Chaewon_ _closed_ _the_ _door_ _with_ _her telekinesis. As Olivia entered the_ _much smaller_ _dorm, she_ _sat_ _down on a sofa that Chaewon directed her towards. The_ _two_ _sat in silence, both too scared to break it. Olivia spoke up._

 _"I... I_ _wanted_ _to_ _apologise_ _," she said, looking down to the floor as Chaewon's eyes widened. "I-I said some things I_ _didn't_ _mean to a-and_ _I_ _want you to know that y-you_ _mean_ _a_ _lot to_ _me and-" '_ _Why is this so hard?' Olivia_ _thought_ _to_ _herself_ _, "...I_ _don't_ _want to_ _hurt_ _you... ever... and_ _I'm_ _sorry if_ _I_ _did_ _..." Chaewon_ _stayed_ _silent. Olivia looked_ _up_ _in worry. Chaewon smiled_ _and_ _put_ _a_ _hand on the girl's_ _shoulder_ _._

 _"Oli... Hyejoo... no_ _matter_ _what happens... we're always friends..._ _I_ _forgave you the moment you showed up," she said as Olivia smiled, "But..._ _I_ _do_ _want_ _to know one thing,"_

_Olivia gulped with worry. "What?"_

_"I want to know why you_ _can't_ _trust_ _Seungha... just give her a chance,"_

 _"I..._ _can't_ _," Olivia admitted, "It's just..._ _I'm_ _sorry,_ _I_ _struggle_ _to understand her sudden change in behaviour..._ _she's_ _been_ _so cold_ _, so mean to_ _everyone_ _for so long... sure, she_ _hasn't_ _been as_ _much_ _of a_ _bully_ _as Jennie, but she made_ _everyone_ _fear her and stay away from her_ _and_ _was mean to_ _anyone_ _who just spoke to her..._ _I_ _can't_ _trust_ _her_ _... not yet. I was worried Chae... worried_ _she'd_ _hurt us... worried_ _she'd_ _hurt_ _you..."_

 _Chaewon nodded and smiled. "_ _That's_ _fine. I understand it. But you_ _don't_ _have_ _to worry about me or safeguard me from people. I can_ _fight_ _for_ _myself_ _and make my own friends,"_

 _Olivia sighed, "_ _You're_ _right,_ _I_ _should've_ _known_ _that_ _I_ _shouldn't_ _have been so-"_

 _"No... what you did_ _wasn't_ _the best, but_ _I_ _should've_ _spoken to you... not_ _lashed_ _out_ _the way_ _I_ _did. Maybe I wouldn't be all alone in a dorm by myself..."_

 _Olivia coughed awkwardly, "W-Well_ _I_ _could_ _stay with_ _you. Maybe crash here for tonight. I-If_ _that's_ _okay_ _with you that is," she said as Chaewon beamed. She tackled Hyejoo into a hug._

 _"Yes! Oh my god thank you! It gets_ _ **so lonely here**_ _," she emphasised the_ _last_ _part, making Olivia chuckle as her face went_ _red_ _from the_ _contact_ _between_ _the two._

_"Well you won't be so lonely,"_

'I never want to leave you alone...'

 _"So_ _you'll_ _be_ _staying_ _with me tonight?" Chaewon asked with_ _hopeful_ _eyes_ _as Olivia smiled._

 _"We're_ _friends_ _Chaewon._ _I'll_ _always have your back. Always," she said as she felt the blonde rest her_ _head_ _against_ _Olivia's chest._ _Olivia felt_ _herself_ _relax_ _at_ _the contact._

'Always... I want to always be by your side,'

===

"...we sorta just talked about how we felt and things sorta just walked out," Seungha kept a blank expression but deep down she felt a sort of joy at the statement.

"Well, that's good," She said as she began to walk off, "See you at the-"

"Hey, wait," Olivia said. Seungha stopped and turned around. Olivia was looking to the floor. Seungha couldn't help but feel concerned, but she kept up her blank look.

"What is it?" She asked as Olivia sighed before looking up.

"Why- what is with the change?"

"Well..." Seungha began, trying to find the right words to use, "I guess I just... sorta want to stop everyone fearing me-"

Olivia scoffed, "What? That's it?" Seungha was a little taken aback.

"Well, I'm sorry but that is the case,"

"Oh- so I'm just supposed to forget all the shit you've done? How you've treated everyone? Up until now, you _made_ everyone fear you," Seungha realised where this was headed, and tried her best to stay calm and collected.

"I understand but I want to make amends-"

"You can't just change in a few days! These past few days you've just been acting like we're all suddenly friends, totally forgetting how you've refused to talk to Choerry, have threatened students who did nothing but say hi to you, and drive everyone away from you," With every reminder, it felt like another stab in Seungha's chest. She _knows_ Olivia is right, just because she doesn't go out of her way to bully someone, doesn't mean she still treated everyone who interacted with her like shit.

"I understand, but-"

"No, you don't understand!" Olivia felt anger coursing through her veins as she felt her emotions pour out of her mouth, the same ones she inhibited so she didn't end up fighting with Chae or anyone else over Seungha. "Do you even remember what you said to me? The day we fought? Do you have any idea how that felt?"

And at that moment, Seungha felt memories flood back to her.

_===_

_**'Winner - Shin Seungha'** _

_The computerised voice announced as Seungha sighed to herself, seeing her own breath frozen and visible. That match had actually pushed her to her limits. She hadn't found someone so challenging since... those two. She shook those thoughts out of her head as she turned around to see her opponent, on the ground. They were weak and were on one knee. Seungha scoffed. To think a moment ago she was worried she would lose. But Seungha never lost. She walked a little closer to the individual._

_"So... this is the Number 3 student?" What threw her off was the fact they smiled at her. She didn't expect that from a student in all black and raven hair._

_"Yeah, hey um... you're pretty powerful and gave a good fight, do you wanna train sometimes?" Was this some sort of game? Seungha had beaten them in front of many watchers- and she wants to befriend her? The girl was almost impressed. She felt a part of her that... No, she couldn't. She couldn't reach out. She felt her eyes narrow as she scoffed._

_"You're pathetic. The powers you have are being wasted on you. You're undeserving of them and my attention," As Seungha began to turn away, she noticed the hurt in the girl's eyes. She turned around and began to walk off, "To think someone like you is the third strongest amongst these weaklings... you're a disgrace,"_

_The third strongest student was a raven-haired girl named Son Hyejoo, or Olivia Hye by her friends. Ever since that day, she ruthlessly defended her number three position from anyone who challenged her and began to harbour a deep resentment towards Seungha._

_===_

Seungha looked down to the ground and scoffed. Olivia looked away, "For once, I reached out to someone, I tried taking Chae's advice on being kind and... I was shot down, harshly. You have no idea what weight those words carried... what they meant to me... sometimes what you say can fucking bring back painful memories, you know?"

Seungha was barely able to speak, "Why me? Why did you even try to reach out to me?"

Olivia turned her back and began to walk away, but she said one last thing, "Because... I used to look up to you..." she muttered, "But now all I see is an icy bitch trying to take my friends from me... I don't trust you and I never will, you're no better than him..." before Seungha could ask, Olivia walked off, leaving Seungha by herself. She felt... odd. Like she didn't want to go and see Jiwoo and Sooyoung like she'd gotten accustomed to these past few days. Before she could do anything, a familiar brown-haired individual walked up to her.

"Hey... do you wanna talk?" Choerry asked. She had seen what had happened earlier, well, more of the tail-end of it, but regardless, she wanted to talk.

Seungha was about to decline, but she looked into Choerry's eyes. She felt... at ease, comforted. She let out a sigh. "Yes... please," Choerry could tell something was weighing the girl down. She walked over and embraced her friend.

"Come on... let's go sit down on the benches..."

=======

The two sat down on the wooden bench. Seungha relaxed, leaning back into the bench as Choerry looked over to the girl.

"What happened?" She asked as Seungha sighed tiredly.

"I... guess some past mistakes caught up to me..." Seungha said, closing her eyes. "She's right though... I am a bitch,"

" _Was,_ " Choerry corrected with a smile, "You've been trying your hardest to be nicer to everyone,"

"I haven't... all I've been doing is just not being mean to them. There's a difference... I've been thinking if I just suddenly started not being a total bitch, people would've been okay with it but... no, what I did wrong still happened. I still said all those things to Olivia. I... I can't just expect everything to be better..."

"While you aren't wrong..." Choerry said, sitting up. Seungha followed, "You also should at least be allowed a chance, more people have been smiling and even saying hi to you... I'll admit, you probably have a lot of apologising to do, but that doesn't make you a bad person. It shows you're willing to put the effort in and I like that about you," Seungha smiled at the sentiment. She looked out into the distance, the sun was getting lower across the horizons as the sky began to become painted with orange and pink hues.

"You know why I changed? Why all this is happening?" Choerry shook her head as Seungha sighed. "A while ago... at Yuna's old school... something bad happened to her, and for the first time ever, I had to act like a sister. I spent a few days with her, let her crash with me and Yongsun at the home we were in. During that time, I was out of my icy shell for longer than ever.

"It felt... good, to finally be seen as Yuna's older sister. The time we spent playing games and just talking, the way I could feel myself smile and the fact that for once, I didn't see a frown or a grimace or a terrified look... I didn't realise... how much I missed it. I had always made everyone fear me that... when someone wasn't, when someone wasn't scared of me it felt... relieving. That I could tell them secrets or that I could trust them. There was no fear. 

"So when I went back to school... when I had to put up my cold act again, that's when I realised it was an act. I wasn't being who I wanted to be... but I had to act cold. And I realised it hurt. It hurt being alone. It hurt that everyone was too scared to look at me. But I don't have a right to complain... it's my fault they were scared. Still, sometimes I wish I did break my act and just acted the way I wanted,"

Choerry felt a question linger on her mind, "Why did you make everyone fear you?"

Seungha let out a sigh. She felt Choerry's hand on her shoulder, reassuring her, "You don't have to tell me if it's too much," she smiled.

Seungha shook her head, "You... you're my friend. Like, I think you're one of the nicest friends I've ever made. You deserve to know," she inhaled before sighing, "When I was younger... an accident happened with my powers... I hurt someone, Yerim. Someone got hurt because of me. And... people told me I was dangerous. That I should keep away from people so I didn't hurt them... I felt like a monster, and that they were right. And ever since, I've been using fear to drive people away from me. But... it drove the people I cared most about away. First Ryujin left, and now anytime I see her... it's like talking to a friendly old friend instead of my sister. And with Yuna... we're fine with each other but things still feel a little awkward. But... I deserve this and-"

"You don't! Whatever the accident was- did you mean to cause it?" Seungha rapidly shook her head, as if such a question was offensive, "So you can't blame yourself for it! Whoever told you that stuff seriously needs a smack on the head!" Seungha chuckled. Choerry's eyes softened, "Seungha... you're trying your hardest to be a better person, and that is admirable in and of itself. Don't let yourself become weighed down because of what you've been taught. There's always more space to grow and learn,"

Seungha nodded and stood up, "I just... I just want Olivia to trust me. I know it'll be hard, but... I wanna show her that I have changed. That I am different,"

Choerry smiled and stood up, "Talk to her! I'll see if I can get Chae to convince her. Look, Seungha, you're both way more alike than you think, just talk to Olivia and be honest,"

Seungha nodded, "Wow, you really are one of the nicest people I've met," Choerry giggled and looked to the floor.

"I never let down any of my friends... especially you," For some reason, that statement alone made Seungha forget about Olivia and her problems for a moment. That heartfelt statement, the 'especially you', it all made Seungha feel... odd. She smiled to herself, she should've given Choerry her chance a long time ago.

======= 

Olivia groaned in annoyance as she sat by the side of the lake. The faint light of the sun glimmered across the reflective blue pool of water in front of her. She picked up a pebble next to her off of the green grass and threw it, hoping to see it skip across the lake, only for it to sink into the water. She groaned and threw her head back, lying down on the emerald green beneath her. She was supposed to go to their dorm but found herself at the side of the lake in thought. There was one person persistently keeping up space in her head. _Seungha... why do I keep thinking of her?_ She found herself asking as a figure walked up to her. She was about to tell them to leave her alone, but the familiarly soft voice caught her off guard.

"Oli...?" Olivia sighed and sat up. She smiled at the blonde, who sat down next to her.

"Hi, Chae," She greeted, looking back across the lake. "What brings you here?"

"Jiwoo called, she said neither you nor Seungha had shown up. She said to go find you, and I think Yerim is finding Seungha," She explained as Olivia let out a sigh.

"Am I in any trouble?" Chaewon giggled slightly.

"Nope- I just wanted to talk... about her..." Olivia's eyes had darkened after Chaewon said that. The lake seemed deep. As if it were nothing but a deep blue abyss.

"I'm sorry Chae... I just can't trust her..."

"Are you sure it's _her_ you can't trust... or is it something else?" Olivia's eyes widened at this as Chaewon looked out across the lake. "I don't think you hate her... and I don't wanna talk about it, I know you hate it as well. I just want you to consider what she said back then and why it angered you,"

Olivia's silence worried Chaewon. She decided to keep talking. "You can't exactly say they're the same..."

"I know," Olivia spoke up, "But... it's just... hard, to accept she's different now..."

"There's nothing wrong with moving on with the past. Holding on to it will only hurt you more. I think that's why Seungha's deciding to change," Chaewon said as Olivia now looked to the blonde.

"Why she's changing?"

"She got hurt by the past somehow and kept holding on to it, that's why she's always kept to herself and forcefully isolated herself as much as possible. I think Jennie has something to do with it, maybe Vivi too. I can't say for sure, but it's my little theory," Chaewon mused to herself, "And now? She's finally moving on. The most we can do is accept that and help her,"

Olivia didn't know what else to say, "I-I know... b-" 

Before she could speak, Chaewon cut her off. "Do you remember how we met?"

Olivia was caught off guard and only replied, "What?"

"You were... an angry student. You were also new. We weren't at this school yet. I think it was about... 5 years ago? You'd bully weaker students, get their lunch money. It felt odd to me, you came from a rich family, so why were you always struggling for money? I could've just kept to myself, created my own reasons, and leave it at that. But..." Chaewon trailed off, gesturing for Olivia to continue with a few nods.

Olivia smiled, "You showed me kindness when no one else did. Convinced me to stop because..."

"...Because you'd never seen this type of kindness in your life. Olivia," Chae began, "I know Seungha is secretive, and barely speaks of her past or home life... but so did you when we first met. You know more than anyone she likely has her reasons, and we can't force them out of her. But we can show her kindness, and that kindness will open the door for her to feel comfortable enough to tell us.

"Olivia... you're my best friend. I know you don't like Seungha- but honestly?" Chaewon put a hand on the girl's shoulder, "You may be the only person able to get her to open up, but being cold won't do it,"

Olivia raised an eyebrow, "What about Yerim?" Chaewon rolled her eyes.

"Pfft, she's nice and kind... but I feel like there's something different between her and Seungha..." She muttered as Olivia tilted her head in confusion, a curious smile on her face.

"Hm? Like what?"

"I can't say..." She said, "How 'bout we just head bac-" 

_**BEEP!** _

**_New message from_ ** _Ice Bitch_

 **_Ice Bitch_ ** _: Hey- meet me at the rooftop of the dorm building_

 **_Ice Bitch:_ ** _I have a few things you deserve to hear_

Chaewon looked at the phone's display, then back to Olivia.

"Here's your chance- be kind," Chaewon said, taking the girl's hand. Olivia felt her face heat up from the interaction and nodded quickly before walking off. Chaewon smiled, and walked off back to her own dorm, messaging Jiwoo that the two were about to work it out. Olivia meanwhile had her eyes glued to Seungha's contact name, and looked to the others she had.

**_Best Princess_ **

_**Tiny Frog** _

_**Purple Cherry** _

_**Ice Bitch** _

She only had Seungha's number because Choerry insisted the girl have it.

"Kindness... maybe..." She tapped on Seungha's contact name and then the edit icon. After she was done, she hummed to herself.

_**Snow Leopard** _

_For some reason... I feel like it fits._ She thought to herself, before walking off, the sun now finally setting on the horizon as dusk changed tonight.

=======

Seungha looks out across the city. She can see the faint glow of lights from buildings as the inky black sky above shadowed blotted out most stars. She found herself staring out across the city, seeing people of all kinds busy and walking about. Seeing people having fun, enjoying themselves... it filled her with an odd sense of joy. She reminisced back to earlier, with her conversation with Choerry. Seungha wondered how things would go now... she felt like she owed Olivia an explanation. It may end up being difficult to converse with the girl, but she hoped things would go smoothly. 

Her mind wandered. How would things go? She recognised that when speaking to Olivia, she should be ready and willing to answer all kinds of questions. Ranging from why the change has happened, to her relationship with Jennie and Vivi. She sighed. A small thought occurred to her. Would she have to discuss... them? The people who started it all? The people before Jennie and Vivi? As she thought about them, she felt more memories hit her.

_"You're a monster!"_

_"Stay away from her!"_

_"...How could you do this?"_

_"What do you mean 'an accident'?"_

_"I can't believe we used to be friends with you..."_

She felt tears prickle her eyes. She laughed. "Am I crying?" One last memory hit her. 

_"You... you're dangerous. You... you hurt people. You... you have to stay away from people. They all fear you, and they're right in that. I'm sorry but... it's for the best you walk your path in life alone, dear."_

She could feel the warm tears fall down her face. "I'm a fucking monster..."

"Eh, you're a bitch, I wouldn't say a monster," She turned around to see the black-haired girl. Olivia was taken aback to see Seungha crying. In a weird way, she felt a painful sense of guilt that she may have triggered something within the girl. "Um..." Seungha quickly wiped her tears off of her face, turning away, almost hiding her face from the other girl as she tried to remove the tears as quickly as possible. Olivia's mind wandered back to her conversation with Chae. _Kindness..._

"Hey," She called out. Seungha froze. Olivia walked closer, "You... you don't need to keep doing that. It's okay to cry... you don't have to keep acting the way they want you to," Olivia didn't fully know what she was saying, only saying what sounded right. She also didn't realise how much those words meant to Seungha, the girl hiding a small smile on her face from hearing it.

"Come on... let's talk,"  
  


The two sat in silence. Neither willing to speak. Seungha sighed.

"One of the first things I owe you... is an apology," She said, "You... you didn't deserve to be called all that. And you're right, I don't know what those words meant to you but," She paused, "I-I want you to know that... I don't believe those things," Olivia raised her head and looked at Seungha. She noticed the girl's wet eyes. She wasn't sure if it was because she was crying earlier, or if it was because what she was saying now made her feel emotional. "The reason I said those things back then..." She shook her head, "No, I don't have a proper excuse. But just know... you're pretty cool. And your friends are lucky to have someone so protective of them. I'm sorry... I've never made amends to what happened those years ago and here I am, thoughtlessly trying to be your friend whilst ignoring the past. I'm sorry... Olivia,"

Olivia let out a sigh. "You don't know why those words hurt... do you?"

Seungha shook her head, "Yeah... I don't, but-"

"Then... don't apologise," Seungha was taken aback by the words of the raven-haired girl.

"W-What?"

"Don't apologise. I should be the one saying sorry. I'm the one who's been harbouring a childish rivalry with you over some words you didn't realise carried a different meaning,"

"But I shouldn't have said those wor-"

"You don't know _why_ you shouldn't have said them. Those words you said... there's a reason I hated them," Seungha tilted her head in confusion.

"Why?"

Olivia sighed and looked down to her lap. "I... wasn't born into this world out of love," She said, "There are people in this world... that marry others for their powers. To create the perfect offspring. My father is a renowned and prematurely retired Network Battle Fighter, he could no longer fight due to a genetic disorder. As a result, he wanted to continue his legacy with his child. That's why I was born. He married my mother because if their powers were to combine, it would create a perfect fighter. I'm a Binate- someone who was born with two abilities,"

"When I was born... he didn't love me. Or care for me. He didn't give two shits about my mom. Everyday... he'd put me through the same harsh training routine, destroying me physically and mentally. He'd starve me if I failed, and..." she trailed off, shakily inhaling before letting out a breath, "...hurt me if I ever lost. Every night I was kept awake by my mother's crying and his yelling. But it's not like we could do anything. My father was a popular public figure, and I doubt anyone would believe him to be a child-abusing piece of shit.

"So those words you said to me?" She said, looking to Seungha who could now see the girl's teary eyes, a look she had never seen from the stone-cold Olivia Hye. "I heard them... every time I failed. Even when I became the third strongest, he mocked me for not being the best. I hate him. I hate my father. I was trapped in hell when I lived with him. My mother is still in that hell, only barely holding on because..." Seungha could see a few tears fall down her face, "Because she knows I can't live without her..." 

Seungha had no idea what came over herself at that moment, but she pulled Olivia in for a hug. She felt the girl cry on her shoulder as Seungha rubbed her back. Seeing Olivia completely break down like this was something neither had expected. Seungha felt like she was seeing a side not many got to see of the usually brooding girl. "I-I'm sorry... I didn't know..."

"Exactly," Olivia said, still in the girl's embrace, "A-and I've been projecting all the anger he makes me feel onto you, why? Just because you said things you didn't realise hurt? You didn't deserve that. Even if you were a cold-hearted bitch, you're trying to change... and Chaewon taught me... that I'm supposed to welcome people with kindness..."

_===_

_A younger Olivia Hye grabbed a smaller student and pinned them against the wall by their shoulder. She stared down at them with dark and angry eyes._

_"Look here, you little bitch... give me your lunch money, or else I'll throw you into the wall," She said as the young girl she was picking on let a shaky hand reach into their pocket and pull out some money. Olivia didn't know why she felt sick doing this, but she needed to have her lunch. And if that bastard wasn't going to pay for it, she'd find other ways to get the money needed. She hadn't eaten in days. Just as the young girl was about to hand over the money, she heard a voice call out._

_"Hey! You! What are you doing?" Olivia turned around to see a young student with blonde hair. She recognised them as Park Chaewon, the student council president._

_"Student Prez... the hell do you want?" She asked. Olivia then felt an odd sensation around her hands. She looked back to see them surrounded by an Eden green aura as they opened up and released the young girl. The young girl thanked Chaewon, before running away as fast as they could. Olivia growled and stormed over to see the shorter girl._

_"The hell?!" Olivia questioned. What pissed her off even more was the totally neutral, unbothered expression the girl wore. Just who the hell did she think she was?_

_"What were you taking from her?" She questioned innocently as Olivia scoffed. She rolled her eyes._

_"Her lunch money. I don't have any myself-" She watched as the girl opened her back and handed her what seemed to be a large sum of money. "What-"_

_"This is enough to pay off your lunch for this week, the week after that, and the week after that. Just let me know if you ever need more," Olivia seemed sceptical but pocketed the money anyways. "Don't worry, my parents are well off. So the money you have-"_

_"I know you're rich, princess. Everyone does,"_

_"That's funny," Chaewon mused, "I thought you were too, Olivia Hye,"_

_Olivia scoffed, "Don't act as you know me,"_

_Chaewon sighed, "You're right, I don't know you too well. I guess that was insensitive of me to assume. Sorry about that," She said, smiling. "Hmm, I wonder what's on the menu today? I heard something about 'western cuisine', what does that even mean? Burgers? Fries?" As Chaewon continued to ramble on about their lunch, Olivia couldn't help but be surprised and almost amazed at the young girl's sudden kindness. Yet, she was also baffled by it._

_"Why..." Chaewon stopped and looked at the raven-haired girl. "Why are you doing this?"_

_Chaewon smiled, "A few months back... my grandmother passed away," Olivia was taken aback, she didn't expect something like this. "She taught me that... no matter how bad someone is, there's always a story behind it. And that kindness is what someone sometimes needs... so that they don't lead a life of pain and hurt. I don't think you're a bad person, Son Hyejoo. I just think you need... a little kindness,"_

_Olivia didn't know why, but she felt an odd warm sensation in her heart at hearing that. "Thank... you,"_

_"No problem," she smiled. Olivia didn't know why, but it was almost like her mouth just began working by itself._

_"Would you... wanna have lunch together?" Chaewon grinned and linked arms with Olivia._

_"I wouldn't mind it, c'mon, let's go!" She said. For the first time in months, Olivia felt a genuine, happy smile appear on her face._

Kindness... eh?

_===_

Olivia smiled at the memory. She broke away from Seungha's embrace. "...and I feel like I've failed that part... I guess I was letting my past hold me back, and you were ready to set yourself free from it. Shin Seungha... I'm sorry,"

Seungha sighed, "I don't deserve it... but it's fine. I'm glad you're willing to give me a chance now... and I may not get your pain... but I do know what it's like when your parents don't feel like your parents," Olivia now found herself intrigued, "So if you ever need someone to talk to... I'm here,"

"You... what do you mean about your parents?" Seungha sighed, she knew it was bound to be asked.

"Me... several years ago... when I was a kid... I discovered my powers. I was lucky, they surfaced at an early age. Me and my best friend at the time..." _Yongsun,_ Seungha thought, "Would often use them to play with snow. It was fun... until I hurt her one day. By accident... my powers... I hurt her. She had to go to the hospital, and I remember the way people looked at me. I remember being heckled by students, teachers and parents alike. I remember the way..." The hands in her lap balled into fists, "Everyone saw me as a monster. They wanted me to stay away from them. They didn't want to be friends with me... I was hurt.

"And my parents?" Seungha let out a sad laugh, "They agreed. They saw me as a dangerous person... my own parents told me to stay away from people because I could hurt them. They tried to isolate me from everyone around me in hopes their daughter didn't hurt anyone else. And it wasn't just that. I... felt like I wasn't their daughter. They would take Ryujin and Yuna out with them but left me home alone. They were allowed to leave the house to see their friends, but I had to stay behind and my friend could only come around to see me for an hour. I was taught to keep people away from me, and eventually, that evolved into using fear. And they _encouraged_ it. The only time I ever felt like a normal person was with my only friend left or with the person they had that taught me about my powers,"

"The principal?" Olivia interjected.

"Yep... it's funny how they tried to have him teach me to fear myself and my powers, but all he did was make me feel better and more loved. He was like the older brother I needed at the time. I missed the days where I would feel like their beloved daughter, but ever since I moved in with my friend... they stopped contacting me altogether. Apparently, they're abroad now," Seungha sighed, "Yuna only came to this school because at her old one she was bullied relentlessly by people who were supposed to be her friends. And when I comforted her... I realised how good it felt when people weren't scared of you. I realised I didn't _want_ to keep making everyone fear me. But... I felt like I had to.

"Yuna recently had an outburst and argued with me... and that was it. I couldn't keep up the cold act I had all these years. I caved in and wanted to change. Choerry was the first person to help me with this, so I reached out. And now... here I am," She finished, letting out a deep breath. Olivia looked to the girl and stood up, Seungha following suit.

"Seungha... don't be what they want you to be. Those people that feared you... your parents... don't let them define you. You're a powerful person, so don't listen to them. Be who you want to be. Be yourself. Not the cold bitch you've acted like. I'm... trusting you, prove me right in that you're a good person," Olivia smiled. 

"Thank you, Olivia-"

"And, call me Hyejoo," Seungha raised an eyebrow to this, "Everyone calls me Olivia, it's what I prefer. But... you can call me Hyejoo. For some reason... it feels right," Olivia and Seungha shared a smile, they both turned around and began walking towards the entrance back to the dorms. Seungha stopped at the door, Olivia raised an eyebrow at it.

"Hey... um..."

"What is it?"

"Hyejoo... I don't think... I've explained Jennie and I's past to you... and I think... I'll give you the short of it for now," Seungha said. Olivia was taken aback. This was something she's wanted to know for ages... but would Seungha really feel comfortable telling her?

"I've trusted you with a lot tonight, so... I wanna trust you with this," Olivia didn't object, "Don't tell the others... I'll tell them when I'm ready but... me and Jennie..."

Olivia held her breath in anticipation.

"...used to be in love..."

=======

Choerry turned the light on only to see a sight that broke her heart. After a joyful and eventful night with being out with Chaewon and Yeojin shopping, the sight in front of her made her eyes water up. She drops the bags onto the floor as she sees Jinsoul lying down on their sofa, asleep. Choerry quietly walks over and sees the dried tears evident on her face. The girl had cried herself to sleep on the couch. She then feels a strong sense of unease as she walks over to Jungeun's room and sees the brunette shrouded in shadow and faintly whimpering and sobbing. She doesn't even notice Yerim.

She walks back to her own room and closes the door quietly. She leans back against it and slides down. She hugs her knees close to her chest as she begins to cry quietly. Why? Why did this have to happen? Why were they always arguing? Stress? Pain? Why?

"Why can't we just be happy?" She sobbed quietly, hoping tomorrow would be a better day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOP! So there has been a lot that's been revealed! Ranging from Olivia's parents to Seungha's parents and even a hint to her past with Jennie and Vivi! And what exactly is Jennie's plot? Will Haseul get her vengeance? Why is Lipsoul so sad if it's my favourite ship? All will be revealed soon.
> 
> Once again, I ask you guys leave a nice detailed comment of your thoughts. I really enjoy reading through them as they give me a huge amount of motivation in seeing how you guys liked the chapter. So go ahead! Tell me about your favourite part(s), favourite characters and what else!
> 
> Hope you all are excited for the next chapter!


	4. Class Project

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay but here's the fourth chapter! 
> 
> Shall we see where this class project takes our characters?

Seungha let out a sigh of relief as she exited the classroom of her history class. She appreciated the effort Professor Seokjin put in to try and make these lessons enjoyable, but it did not help as much as he hoped. Feeling relieved that it was now time for a break, she was about to head outside for some fresh air, or go and find wherever Choerry, Yeojin and the others may end up being at, but before she could she saw an individual start jogging up to her. She was surprised but turned to face them as they stopped and smiled. She swore they looked familiar.

"Umm... hi?" She said awkwardly as the other person giggled.

"Hi! My name is Serim, but everyone calls me Onda," She beamed as Seungha smiled and nodded.

"Ah, well, nice to meet you, Onda," Seungha greeted as Onda smiled.

"Likewise!" Seungha stood quietly and awkwardly for a few minutes before sighing.

"Umm... I'm sorry but it feels like you wanna tell me something?"

"Yep! Remember a few days ago when Jennie was picking on a student? And you and Vivi stepped in?" Seungha nodded, remembering the events of the last few days. She then also remembered her rooftop discussion with Hyejoo. There was now a noticeable change between the two. They seemed a lot friendlier, closer and would trade playful insults. Yeojin was confused but didn't mind, meanwhile, both Chaewon and Choerry were extremely happy with the fact that the two had finally resolved their issues. Seungha had also finally told them all about her relationship with her parents and the fear they taught her.

"Yeah, oh- were you that student?" Onda nodded as Seungha smiled, "I was happy to help, I'm sorry about what happened,"

"Pfft, why are you sorry? I came to apologise for running off. Jennie just has a habit of well... scaring other students off, she's... mean," Seungha then thought something. _Why... why does that sound like the old me?_

"I knew she bullied people but," Seungha asked, "Is it that bad?"

Onda nods with a sigh, "A lot, not just her as well. A ton of more powerful students act like this. I'm glad a lot of the Top Ten don't treat us like that, you are all doing your best to set a good example, but I do wish more people tried to help out," Seungha decided not to correct her about the fact she wasn't in the Top Ten.

Seungha found herself confused. "Hasn't anyone tried to do anything about it? The Student Body Council? Teachers? The principal?" Seungha found herself confused as to why Namjoon himself hadn't stepped in yet.

"We've been trying but... there's a lot to it," Onda raised one finger, "First off, some of these guys are super-rich and as a result, have a lot of influence. So it's hard for teachers to step in. Secondly," She raised a second finger, "The principal isn't omnipresent. Not only that, but I think he must have a second job or something because he's always held up in meetings both outside and inside the school. It's like he's part of some super-secret government organisation dedicated to defeating some radicalists who are attacking the superpowered youth!" She exclaimed. _A little oddly specific but okay..._ Seungha mused as Onda soon began to continue.

"Students are also given free rein to use their abilities on school grounds because of Doctor Hoseok's tonics and potions which heal us incredibly quickly and Professor Seokjin's Probability manipulation to minimise fatal injuries,"

 _Namjoon would allow that? I get he's trying to be less strict and make students feel at ease but... it all sounds too risky..._ Seungha thought to herself.

"AND thirdly... Jennie herself has fingers in the council,"

"What?" Seungha questioned as she nodded.

"Jisoo and Rosé are a part of the council. They used to be super nice, but ever since they became friends with Jennie, they've been defending her and others! And because they're so respected and powerful, a lot of the younger, more impressionable members, agree with them. It's infuriating! Irene has been complaining for days. Choerry has been trying to get them to agree with us but they won't listen. Us council people are starting to lose our ability to do something about it..." She muttered dejectedly as Seungha sighed.

She could easily tell that Onda really wanted to help, but given the fact she has such a low level and because Jennie has somehow even infiltrated the council, she couldn't really do much. Not only that but knowing that Choerry is trying her hardest makes her even more bothered by it. She wondered if there was anything she could do, and then she realised, there was something she could do.

"...what if I joined?"

"I- what?" Onda asked as Seungah nodded.

"If I joined, a lot of people would agree with me... whether out of respect or fear is a different question but- the point is I could negate them. Jennie wants to use her position to take advantage of the council? Fine, I'll fight fire with fire. I'll join the council if it means helping..." _Yerim,_ "The students, I'll help," Onda then grabbed Seungha's hands and began shaking them vigorously. Seungha laughed awkwardly as Onda beamed.

"O-M-G! Thank you so much! You'll be an amazing help!" Onda then pulled out what seemed to be several papers and a pen, "You just need to fill out these and you're officially a council member! Will only take a few minutes," Seungha looked back to a showing how she only had a few minutes left before lessons resumed. She sighed and began filling out the numerous forms and papers.

=======

Jinsoul awoke with a groan as she got off the couch. Her back felt stiff, but she felt like she deserved it after last night. She sighed as she tiredly made her way to the bathroom to complete her morning routine. After finishing, she exited the bathroom and made her way over to her room she shared with Jungeun. She felt a pang of guilt in seeing the blanket so tightly wrapped around Jungeun as she lied down, curled up into a ball. She picked up her things and began getting dressed, not knowing how to talk to Jungeun. As she finished up, tying her hair into a ponytail, she walked over to the sleeping Jungeun.

She smiled upon seeing her face, but the smile faltered as she noticed the dried tears around her face. She had been crying. She cried herself to sleep. Jinsoul felt her eyes water as she kneeled down and kissed her girlfriend's forehead as she planted her arms on the bed, and rested her head on them. 

"I'm sorry about last night, babe..." she muttered as Jungeun kept quiet. "I know you're asleep... and you deserve an apology when you're awake but..." She laughed quietly and sadly to herself, "I guess I just wanted to tell you some things before I leave,"

"You... you are my world. I feel like if it all crumbled away, if I only had you for the rest of my life, that I'd be fine. Kim Jungeun... you complete me, you make me feel so alive, I feel so... so in love with you a-and..." she was having a hard time speaking, "...I don't wanna keep hurting you... you deserve so much better... better than me..." she choked out that last part as she felt her own tears fall.

"You are an amazing person, and you deserve everything in the world. I'm sorry that these past few days have been stressful... I'm sorry I keep breaking promises I'm sorry I'm not the bestI'msorryI'msuchashittyperson-" she stopped herself as she found her voice quickening and the tears falling faster. She got up and sighed. "I... want you to know... I love you... and that... I wanna get through this... together... you're my world, Kim Jungeun... and we'll get through this together... right? Like we always do, right? You're just stressed and I've got a few issues to work on... right?" Despite knowing Jungeun was asleep, it was almost like she was waiting for Jungeun to comfort her. Jinsoul lowered herself and kissed Jungeun's forehead.

"See you when you wake up..." Jinsoul walked out and closed the door quietly. When Jinsoul was gone, Jungeun's eyes shot open as tears began to form.

"I-I... Jinsoul..." she murmured, hearing all of what Jinsoul had said, and hating how sad this had made her girlfriend.

=======

Yeojin felt a kick underneath the desk as she jolted awake. She looked to her left to see Chaewon. She then looked forward and realised she fell asleep in class... again. She rolled her eyes and kicked Chaewon underneath the table who muttered a curse underneath her breath but tried to appear as if she wasn't phased. She then looked to her right to see Seungha leaning back on her chair again. After realising Yeojin was looking at her, she sat normally and turned to her.

"You're awake now?" She asked as Yeojin scoffed.

"The tiny princess over there woke me up," she muttered as she crossed her arms and looked back to the professor.

"Hm... good," Seungha said, turning to face the teacher herself, "Miss Sunmi is about to explain a new project,"

"So, for the next few days, you'll have to do a summary presentation on the topic we've covered over the last few weeks. This will be a group project, so you'll be allowed to pick a suitable partner," Yeojin turned and smirked at Chae who smiled back, " _However,_ due to the disaster of a group project last time, I will review some pairs and if I have to, pick a new partner. I entrust you'll pick a suitable partner," she emphasised again. 

"So, to begin," she turned to face a student, "Why don't we review the basic outline of this topic- Soyeon?"

"It was about where our abilities and powers come from- right?" the black-haired student answered.

"Yes, correct," Soyeon grinned to herself and leaned back in her seat, "Please sit normally," The teacher's eyes scanned the class again before her eyes fell upon another student, "Brad- what specifically is the source of our powers?" She waited for an answer from the boy, who only seemed like his brain was fried from even thinking about the question.

"Uh..." he said as other students visibly cringed. Choerry decided to save the kid some embarrassment as she raised her hand. 

"Yerim- I appreciate your enthusiasm but I asked Brad," Sunmi still awaited an answer as Seungha rolled her eyes as Choerry pouted and mumbled.

"What's the point in asking if he looks so braindead..." she muttered as both Yeojin and Seungha stifled a laugh. _She has a point..._ Seungha then coughed to get the teacher's attention. And just like that, all eyes fell on her as the room fell silent. The teacher was concerned- Seungha rarely even looked at her during lessons. Sure, she had heard the student was recently less closed off and was beginning to be more friendly, but that didn't mean she wasn't still scary. Sunmi found the idea of being scared of a student ridiculous, given her ability, but it still didn't mean she was unphased. 

_I swear, that girl must also be immune to my ability somehow..._

"Yes, Seungha?" she asked, trying her hardest to sound neutral.

"I was wondering if you were done asking him the question and about to ask someone else," she gestured towards Yerim. Yerim felt her cheeks warm at the act from her friend.

"Right... Yerim?" she asked as Choerry smiled.

"Our powers come from an energy-force or lifeforce referred to as ' _Vitality_ '. Vitality is something that is found in every human being and is shaped into what our powers are. The more Vitality that can flow through your body easily, the stronger your powers are. Every human has Vitality, but not all humans have enough to form powers or their vitality has nowhere to go," Choerry explained as Brad's mouth went into an 'O' upon hearing this. 

"Thank you Yerim, very informative. Yes, Vitality has been the main subject of our studies recently. Vitality, Vitality Channels, those without powers- the works. Your task is to produce a presentation to present what you've learnt- you can discuss one specific area or an overall summary of the unit. I expect you all to be ready to present your findings next lesson. I'll now give you the remaining minutes to find a suitable partner," She said as there was as a shuffling of seats and people. 

Seungha looks around and suddenly the usually confident yet cold girl suddenly felt very out of place. People easily had friends and people to go to. Usually, whenever this happened, she would be allowed to work by herself. Yet, for once, she felt awkward and alone. Until a certain cheery student body president tapped her on the shoulder. Seungha turned around to see the beaming face of Choerry. 

"Need a partner?" She asked as Seungha smiled.

"Yep... would you-" Choerry giggled.

"That's why I mentioned it, silly. We're totally gonna ace this thing," she said, throwing an arm around Seugha in the process as Seungha smiled. Sunmi noted how the usually cold Seungha who kept to herself and the bright and cheerful Choerry were working together. An odd pair, but they were her best students, so she allowed it.

Chaeryeong sighed as a few people came to her. She felt her body stiffen with fear as many of them walked over with smirks plastered to their faces and she could feel the power emanating from them.

"Hey, Chae... ah fuck, what's your name again?" One of them asked.

"Ch-Chaeryeong," she stuttered.

"Ah... see, I _know_ you're one of the smartest people here, you see, I'm kinda busy this week- and I would totally love it if you would help out..." they muttered. 

"W-Well, you see-" she was about to speak up, but she noticed their fist was glowing lime green.

"You know my ability, right?" She nodded hastily, "So, you know how I could _kick your ass like it was child's play?"_ she sighed and nodded again shakily. "So, work with me, or things get... difficult, let's say," she closed her eyes in fear. She hated how people knew her to be incredibly smart, yet took advantage of her low level. They _could_ and _have_ beaten her just so that she would do all the work for them so that they get a good grade. She hated it... she hated them all...

"Yo!" A bright voice caused her eyes to open as she turned to look for it. She felt a small smile as Yuna walked over, beaming as usual. The younger girl stopped for a moment in front of her.

"Hey! Chaeryeong! Wanna work together?" Chaeryeong saw an opportunity and dashed towards Yuna, moving behind her. 

"S-Sure," she replied as her eyes focused back onto the other person. Their fists still glowing as they scoffed.

"Hey, new kid," they called out to Yuna, "I'm not sure if you noticed, but I'm working with her,"

Yuna tilted her head in confusion, "Really? Looked more like you were picking on her. Look, I'm gonna work with her and she wants to work with me, so just, I don't know, take a hike and leave us both be, 'kay?" she asked. Chaeryeong felt Yuna activating her ability as the younger girl's eyes glowed a faint blue. The other person scoffed and walked off. Yuna turned around to face Chaeryeong. "You good?"

She nodded, "Yeah... I'm fine,"

"Come on, let's go," she said. Sunmi watched the entire thing unfold as she watched with both confusion and slight amusement. _Someone standing up for Chaeryeong? That's a rare sight... I can tell that she and Yuna will work well together..._ She thought to herself as two loud voices caught her ear. She groaned and turned around.

"We're gonna kill it!" Yeojin said as she and Chaewon high-fived. The teacher walked over to their spot as they continued talking.

"Yep! This is gonna be so fun-"

"No! I am not having you two work together after _last time_ ," she said as the two scoffed.

"What 'last time'?" Yeojin asked as she looked back to the teacher. She backed up a bit upon seeing their frustrated expression and how their left eye twitched in annoyance.

"THE TIME WHERE YOU CAUSED A POWER SHORTAGE IN THE _ENTIRE SCHOOL_ BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUNNY TO-" They both winced as Chaewon soon cut her off.

"Ah... that time,"

The teacher sighed in annoyance, "Look... you're both great kids but _please,_ I do not need your chaotic energy combined," the teacher scanned the room before seeing another problematic pair. Whilst these two weren't nearly as bad, the fact their last presentation had more memes than actual information is very concerning.

"Lisa! Sorn!" the teacher called out as she handwaved them over. They both shared a look of confusion as they walked over. Yeojin's eyes widened... no... she wouldn't-

"I need you to switch partners with Yeojin and Chaewon,"

"WHAT-" they called out as she silenced them.

"Yeojin, you're working with Lisa. Chaewon, work with Sorn," She stated, "I am _not_ going back on my decision. Besides, you'd both work well together. You both have a... similar sense of humour. Plus, Yeojin may be chaotic, but Lisa has a knack for trying to get things done with efficiency and order- so I imagine it'll balance out," Lisa scoffed as Yeojin rolled her eyes. They noticed the teacher's eyes glow violet as a black aura appeared around her.

" _You will follow my orders... correct?"_ they both immediately shrank back in fear and nodded. Chaeryeong, off to the side, looked over. Yuna looked at her with confusion.

"What-" Chaeryeong's eyes glowed a golden hue as she spoke.

"Miss Sunmi... her ability allows her to manipulate and control fear," Chaeryeong said as Yuna nodded.

"Scary..." she muttered.

"Actually, she's really nice," Chaeryeong said, slinging her backpack over her arm. "Ready to go?" Yuna nodded as the bell went and students were dismissed. Yeojin walked out grumbling as Lisa followed her. Seungha watched and sighed.

"Don't worry," Choerry said, smiling at her friend, "They'll be fine,"

"If you say so..." she muttered before smiling. The two exited as Sunmi smiled, leaning back against her desk.

"Guess she finally found a friend..."

=======

Choerry was talking to Seungha as they approached her dorm. Choerry was energetic, lively and bright as usual along with Seungha's limited but meaningful expression. Seungha tried to pay attention to the cheery girl in front of her, but her ears couldn't help but pick up the whispers that surrounded them.

_"Is that Zero?"_

_"Psh... just call her Seungha, she's nowhere as scary as before,"_

_"Isn't that a good thing?"_

_"I have no idea how she thinks she can just act like she's not treated us terribly before..."_

_"She probably thinks just because she's not acting like Jennie, she's fine,"_

_"Honestly, they're both equally as bitchy,"_

_"How the hell does Choerry put up with her? She's barely even emoting,"_

Seungha couldn't help but feel small upon hearing all this. She was and still is the strongest and most feared student. On the one hand, she feels good that she's changed and isn't scaring as many people. But... she knows those that talk behind her back are right. She can't help but feel guilty at how she treated everyone before. Including Choerry... she knows she should be over it, and Olivia's words from a few days ago still ring true.

**_"...Don't listen to them. Be who you want to be. Be yourself."_ **

But could she? After everything, she's done? How coldly she acted before? She may not have bullied people like Jennie, but she certainly didn't treat them warmly. However, a happy voice cut through those prying thoughts.

"Seungha?" Choerry asked with a concerned look in her eyes, "Are you okay? You kinda spaced out,"

 _"She's not even paying attention to her,"_ A voice said, which caused only more guilt to rise in the girl.

Seungha smiled, "Yeah, I'm fine..." Choerry beamed.

"Good! Anyways, we're here!" She said, unlocking the door to the dorm and letting her in. Seungha looked around, standing in the entrance. Neat, tidy, organized. Oddly, what she expected. She knew of Choerry's two roommates. She saw Jinsoul relaxed on a sofa, watching some film on their TV. Jungeun meanwhile was busy furiously taking notes in a book with a frustrated and tired expression. Choerry beamed and walked in, Seungha awkwardly staying in the doorway.

"Jungeunnie! Jinnie! Guess who's back?" She said as she waltzed in, Jinsoul and Jungeun looking up and smiling. They both stood up and noticed Seungha. "I'm working with Seungha on a project, so I brought her over here to work on it!" She announced as the two nodded and the three walked over.

"You gonna come in?" Jungeun asked as Seungha still heard the whispers. 

_"Do you think she can hear us?"_

_"She hasn't done anything.."_

_"Come on, just leave her be,"_

_"Oh come on, she's treated us all like dirt, the least I can do is call her names,"_

_"What's Lip gonna do? Seungha kicked her ass a while back,"_ While she couldn't make it out, Jungeun could hear the faint sound of surrounding voices. She noticed Seungha's balled-up fist clench as she stayed silent and stiff. Jungeun realised the voices were getting under her skin and immediately pulled Seungha into the dorm with a friendly expression. Jinsoul didn't really know what was going on, but also wore a friendly smile and closed the door behind them. 

"C'mon!" Choerry said, "Let's get to working,"

"Yeah..." Seungha smiled, "Let's,"

=======

Chaeryeong walked with Yuna by her side towards their dorm. Yuna kept up the conversation as Chaeryeong just laughed, nodded and continued to talk to her. The two went undisturbed and the shyer girl felt a lot more secure and at ease with Yuna by her side, smiling and overall brightening up her mood. That was until a voice made itself heard.

"Hey!" Chaeryeong winced and turned around. "You!" The figure stormed over with an annoyed expression. "You have a lot of nerve to just turn around and avoid me!" Chaeryeong noted their glowing green fist. Before Chaeryeong could say anything, Yuna pulled her behind her. 

"Hey... what's your name?" She asked as the person scoffed.

"Suyun," 

"Well, _Suyun_ , would you mind leaving my partner alone? Don't you have your own? Yunkyoung or something?" Yuna tried to recall. Suyun scoffed.

"I don't care for having Chaeryeong as a partner, it's just that when someone steps out of line," she clenched her fist, "They get pushed back,"

Yuna rolled her eyes as she was surrounded by a blue aura. People surrounding turned to watch what seemed like a fight that was about to go down. Chaeryeong nervously hid behind the taller girl. "Look, either you leave my partner alone, or-" before she could say anything, Yuna felt a sharp punch across her face.

**Kim Suyun - Iron Fist**   
**Her punches become enhanced to the point of** **breaking** **through** **solid** **stone**

**Power- 5**

**Speed- 2**

**Defence- 4**

**Medical- 1**

**Skill- 3**

**Range- 1**

**Overall Level: 2.7**

Suyun smirked as she drew back her fist. Chaeryeong gasped and looked to Yuna, who stood still. Suyun raised a brow at this, most people would be sent flying or would fall to the ground. She noticed the bruised and red area where Suyun punched Yuna and watched as it slowly returned to normal. _That's right..._ Chaeryeong thought _Yuna's ability to boost her medical and speed stats._ In what seemed like to onlookers was a flash of blue light, Yuna ran towards Suyun and kicked her. Hard. Suyun was sent flying back into some nearby lockers and coughed up blood. Before she could get up, Yuna grabbed Chaeryeong's hand and dashed out of the corridor and to the dorms. By the time they arrived, Yuna sighed with relief.

"Wow! That was scary," she said as Chaeryeong still seemed frozen with shock. Yuna laughed awkwardly, "Hehe... Chaeryeong? You okay?" Chaeryeong snapped out of her daze and muttered something quietly. "Hm?" Yuna said, not hearing what the other girl had said.

"Um... I-I said no one has ever stood up for me like that before..." Yuna grinned.

"I'm not just gonna let anyone bully any of my friends!" She said, causing the shyer girl to smile.

"To be honest," Chaeryeong said as her smile faded and she looked to the ground, "Ever since I started hanging out with stronger students like Hyunjin or Lia, the bullying when they're not around is getting worse. I've skipped entire days when neither of the two was around because... I'm scared..." she said as Yuna felt a pain in her chest upon hearing this. She reassuringly put her hands on Chaeryeong's shoulders.

"Hey... don't let them get to you... you're amazing, I won't let anyone hurt you," She finished the statement off by smiling brightly, causing Chaeryeong to smile too. 

"Come on, let's go in," She said as they walked through the door. They were greeted by Lia who was currently at her laptop. She seemed relaxed and watching YouTube, but in actuality, she was ecstatic as she heard their conversation and was greatly pleased in knowing that Chaeryeong had someone super willing to protect her. Lia trusted Yuna. She then looked to her phone as a text message appeared

**_New message from_ ** _Yeji-Bear_

**_Yeji-Bear:_ ** _Babe, wanna go on a date later?_

**_Lia:_ ** _Sure! :D_

=======

"-UGH! Do you ever shut up?" Lisa groaned as Yeojin rolled her eyes.

"Bitch- you've been complaining ever since we left!" Yeojin threw her arms up in frustration as they approached the dorm. Yeojin fished for the keys as she unlocked the door and walked in. The faint voices of Vivi and Haseul could be heard as Lisa entered the dorm with crossed arms.

"Can't believe I'm stuck with-" before she could finish, Lisa felt a body throw itself on top of her as she felt a sharp pain across her face. A pain that felt all too familiar as she could hear Yeojin's cackles in the background.

"THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Haseul demanded as Lisa groaned in pain. Haseul looked to the laughing Yeojin for an answer. Yeojin wiped a tear before continuing

"We're working on a group project together, I kinda got stuck with the hothead over here," She said as Lisa growled. Haseul murmured an 'Oh' before getting up. Vivi sighed and knelt beside Lisa and hovered her hands over her face. Lisa felt the pain disappear and noticed something on one of her arms. She looked at Vivi's left arm, and how... it was metallic. The light in the room reflecting off of it as it's shiny silver surface shone. She could even make out faint wires underneath some of the metal platings.

"Woah... what's with-" Vivi noticed and retracted her arm, holding it with her right arm. 

"I um.. don't wanna talk about it," she said as she got up and left quickly, leaving Lisa confused. She was about to get up but felt Haseul's foot push her back down.

"Look, I'm not in the slightest mood for your shits and giggles. Hurt Yeojin or cause any time of drama in my household-"

"This is a dorm room-" Lisa cut in.

"IN MY HOUSEHOLD!..." Haseul reasserted, "And I'll give you a repeat of that fight, are we clear?" Haseul asked, her body and eyes glowing green towards the end of that statement.

"U-Um... yes ma'am," she stammered as Haseul removed her foot and went back to her laptop to continue watching some cute kitten videos she found earlier, her 'aww's and squeals greatly contrasting with the threatening image she had a few moments ago. Lisa stood up as Yeojin rolled her eyes. 

"Whatever, come on," she said, walking towards the table at the centre of the dorm.

=======

Choerry breathed a sigh of relief as she relaxed back in her seat, stretching her arms out in the process. Seungha also leant back and smiled, being glad they had a decent amount of work already done. Jungeun had been studying by them on the table and released a frustrated sigh as her head met the table. Seungha raised a concerned eyebrow and Choerry sighed. Seungha noticed how Choerry seemed worried and Jungeun tired and frustrated. She looked at Choerry.

"Hey, Yerim," The girl beamed when Seungha used her real name, "Can we take a break?" Choerry nodded and stood up and left somewhere. Seungha looked back to the tired Jungeun and felt a little bad for her. She moved a little closer. 

"Everything okay?" She asked.

"Oh yeah... everything is just peachy..." Jungeun replied sarcastically, but the tiredness in her voice seemed to cause the clear sarcasm to fall deaf on Seungha's ears.

"Um... is it? Because it looks like to me-"

Jungeun sat up and glared at Seungha, who seemed taken aback, "Oh god, that was sarcasm you dense-ass iceberg!"

Seungha suddenly felt a lot smaller, "Well... I didn't realise-"

"Maybe because you were too busy trying to kick everyone's ass instead of socialising," she spat back as Seungha seemed physically hurt by what Jungeun had said. She looked down to the floor and rubbed her left arm with her right hand. Jungeun noticed how the girl's demeanour had changed and her eyes widened as she sighed.

"I'm...sorry," Jungeun said tiredly, "I'm just a little... stressed?" At this point, it seemed like not even she knew what was going on. Seungha moved a little closer.

"Do you... wanna talk about it?" She asked as Jungeun was taken aback by the offer. But she smiled.

"Sure... I guess if you're willing to listen," she said, sighing. She looked down to her lap as she began, "It all starts with this: I... am something called a 'Late Bloomer', in terms of my ability. I discovered it a lot later than most, I think I was around 15,"

"Wait... really?" Jungeun looked up at Seungha.

"Is it that much of a surprise?" She asked with a small laugh as Seungha avoided her gaze.

"I don't know... you had me on the ropes when we last fought..." she murmured. Jungeun smiled, seeing Seungha be a lot more reserved and... almost shy in some instances, made her have even more admiration that Choerry could bring out this side to someone the girl had once considered as cold as the arctic. She then continued.

"The reason I bring this up is that, well, I want to be a Pro-Network Battler- someone who does these fights for a living as a professional sport. A huge amount of both physical experiences in the field is needed and there are also many papers and tests you need to do to gain the BBC Official Battle License- something that signals to future teams that you are an approved fighter. It basically helps to pave the way for you," Jungeun explained.

"I'm aware- it's something I was once interested in,"

"Once?"

"Hehe," Seungha laughed awkwardly, "My dreams kinda died a while back, it's why I've stopped battling in the first place and had my name from the rankings removed,"

"Huh," Jungeun muttered before continuing, "Anyways, because of the fact my powers surfaced later than most people, I had to gain the minimum amount of experience needed to take the BBC-OBL Exams, which is four years. That's why I was on the school Network Battle team- to get that experience needed. Then," she sighed, "Once I was ready, my mother registered for me to take the exams, so I had a year to prep for the written exams. And... I've been really stressed out. So much work, studying, course work, essays, presentations, projects, lack of sleep-" 

She began to ramble on until Seungha put a hand on her shoulder. Jungeun sighed.

"I... It wasn't so bad at first... I had her,"

"Jinsoul?"

"Who else?" Jungeun mused tiredly, "She kept me going... until recently,"

"So this is only a new thing?"

"Yeah..." Seungha took note of that. "She got some new friends. Apparently, some from her first high school," _First... did Jinsoul transfer to a second one? Is that second one where she and Jinsoul met?_ Seungha thought as Jungeun continued, "They... are taking her from me- God, that sounds so possessive-" Jungeun tried to it write off but met with Seungha's focused eyes.

"No. Explain,"

Jungeun paused but continued. "...They discourage her from spending time with me, they say I'm too controlling, they say all sorts of things about me that I've overheard... Jinsoul never outright believes them but... what if they're right? Jinsoul tells me to relax about it... should I?" Jungeun asked with desperate eyes. Seungha sighed and turned her head away, trying to think.

"I... believe that you're in the right here," she said as Jungeun seemed confused. Seungha sighed, "When we fought that time... I was jealous of you," Now Jungeun was very shocked.

"I- _What?!_ " She said as Seungha chuckled.

"Back then... you had things I hadn't... things that I'd lost. Friends, respect, love... you had everything I wanted but didn't have. I felt a mix of jealousy... but also respect. You had me on the ropes, you're powerful- especially for a Late Bloomer... Jungeun- you deserve to be happy. You deserve to have Jinsoul. These people... sound suspicious. I'm sure they are. But... maybe you could be more lenient with Jinsoul. The only reason Jinsoul could believe those claims is if you make them seem true. I say, show Jinsoul you aren't what they say you are. Over time, she may challenge what they say about you and maybe, the change will happen,"

"You really think so?" Jungeun asked as Seungha smiled.

"Definitely. Just be supportive of Jinsoul, give yourself a break now and then, and be patient," the words seemed to resonate with Jungeun, who smiled and sighed with relief.

"Thank you... Seungha,"

"Happy to help," She smiled. Jungeun looked back to her papers.

"Well, I better keep studying-" Seungha snatched some of the papers and read through them. "H-hey-"

"Compared to you, I've had a lot of time to practice for the written part of the BBC-OBL exams and to me, these papers look fine. You shouldn't stress yourself out so much. Take a break. Watch a movie or something," Seungha handed the papers back as Jungeun looked at them.

"Maybe you're right..." she muttered, stacking them and leaving them on the table, "You know," she turned to face Seungha, "You should rejoin the rankings- it'd be amazing to see you battle again. I can totally see you as a Pro-Network Battler,"

Seungha stayed quiet in thought, and turned to look at Jungeun, "You think so?"

"I know so, don't let the past hold you back,"

_Don't let the past hold you back._

Seungha smiled.

"Sure, I'll consider it,"

=======

Choerry poked a straw into the carton of fruit juice she had in her hands. She began to drink from it as Jinsoul walked in, blue headphones on her head as she bopped her head up and down to the theme of a song that Choerry could faintly hear from the headphones. She poured herself a glass of cola as she turned around and leant against the counter. She turned and noticed Choerry, who stopped drinking and smiled. Jinsoul took off her headphones and flashed her own smile. 

"Hey Yerim, how are you?"

"I'm good! You?"

"I'm doing-"

"Terribly, you argued with Jungeun, right?" Jinsoul was caught off guard by the sudden question and began stammering. "You were just distracting yourself with music and when it wasn't working you tried to get something to drink to distract yourself. Am I right?"

"I-I..." She kept stammering before sighing. "Yes... you're right... How did you know?" The older girl asked.

"I've known you and Jungeun for years... Jinsoul... why does this keep happening?"

"L-Look, things are just complicated-"

"I'm not a kid, and I want to know," she frowned as Jinsoul sighed.

"...I had to cancel my plans with her this weekend because some friends want me to spend time with them-"

"-Sejoo, Sooji, Gayoung, Minjae, Mia, San and Seongwha?"

"Yep," Jinsoul said as Choerry mentally groaned. She wasn't the largest fan of many of them. While she didn't mind Mia too much- even if she had a habit of stealing attention now and then- or San or Seongwha, she did know that the rest of them aren't exactly big fans of Jungeun. But, she didn't want to make her frustrations super obvious so she smiled. 

"Well, yeah, I cancelled my plans and she's a little mad. And I'm a little confused,"

"How so?" Choerry asked as Jinsoul sighed, putting her glass onto the counter.

"Sometimes I'm scared that... maybe Jungeun is being a little too strict or controlling?" Choerry thought about it. She did have to admit, Jungeun could be a perfectionist sometimes. She wouldn't call her _controlling,_ but she wouldn't be surprised. "It's just... I'm scared she thinks I'm not trying anymore. _But I am_. I try to talk to her so much but... she barely responds. It's like talking to a wall sometimes... it's like I'm not even there..." she muttered as Choerry sighed and put a hand on Jinsoul's shoulder.

"Hey... why don't you cancel your plans with your friends and go with Jungeun? Maybe it'll get her talking, show that you really do care. This is a chance Jinsoul, _use it,"_ She said as Jinsoul nodded. "I know things seem tough and scary but... Jungeun really, _really_ loves you. She cries after all the arguments not because you were mean, but because she's mad that she yelled at you. Jinsoul, Jungeun is more important in this instance. Give her the attention she needs, and she'll give you the attention you need," Choerry reassured as Jinsoul stayed quiet for a moment, thinking.

"Yeah... yeah you're right!" Jinsoul exclaimed with a grin. However, her smile dropped. "But um... I find it hard to say no to people..." Choerry sighed.

"I can tell," _Maybe it's why your arguments with Jungeun look so bad,_ "...hand me your phone," she said as Jinsoul gave a questioning look but did so. Choerry seemed to text for a few seconds before handing it back. "I did it for you and gave a believable excuse," Jinsoul looked down and smiled. 

**_Jinsoul:_ ** _Sorry guys :( Just got a project to do from that one bitchy professor, it's a lot of work so I can't come_

**_San:_ ** _Ah k, I'll let them know you said hi_

**_Sooji:_ ** _Really Jinnie?_

**_Seongwha:_ ** _Hey lmao it ain't her fault, give her a break_

**_Jinsoul:_ ** _:(_

**_Gayoung:_ ** _Whatever_

**_Sooji:_ ** _Fine, hope you pass x_

**_Sejoo:_ ** _Kind of a letdown but ig it can't be helped_

"Thanks, Yerim," Choerry beamed back with a wide smile.

"Don't just thank me, go and tell Jungeunnie!" Jinsoul smiled and walked off to go tell her girlfriend the good news. Seungha walked into the kitchen, giving a suspicious look as Jinsoul passed by with a large smile. She turned and looked at Choerry.

"What was that about?" 

Choerry smiled to herself, "I'm such a good cupid,"

=======

Chaewon smiled as she walked beside Olivia, a bag in her hand and her phone in the other, strawberry lollipop in mouth. She turned to look at the raven-haired girl, who was carrying several bags in both hands. The two had gone clothes shopping and Chaewon always brought Olivia along to help carry bags. She turned to look at the other girl.

"Really, Oli, thanks for letting me borrow some money. I'm surprised you don't use the allowance your father gives you more often,"

Olivia scowled, "I ain't using any of the shit that prick gives me. All it is is an incentive so I keep doing what he wants me to do,"

"True, but like," She pulled out the lollipop, "Wouldn't it be more insulting if you did use it, but still didn't listen to him?"

"Nah, I think using it for things other than myself is a way better use. I'm more surprised your parents haven't given you any more money to spend recently. Aren't they like, super-loaded and also super nice?" She questioned as Chaewon sighed.

"Yeah, but _apparently_ I spend too much so they've lowered it," She scoffed, " _SpEnD tOo mUcH._ That's such a lie. I'm great at saving money. I bet they're just saving up for some fancy trip," Olivia smiled and rolled her eyes at what the girl was saying.

"Alright, Chae, whatever you say-"

"SOMEONE CATCH THAT THIEF!" They both turned their heads to see a woman pointing to someone running off. He seemed to take a bag and the woman's purse. Olivia dropped the bags and ran off after the thief. Chaewon's eyes glowed green, as did the bags as they began to levitate. She saw a green aura surround herself as she too began levitating. She then floated off after the thief as well.

The thief kept running and turned around, seeing the two girls chasing him. He muttered in annoyance as his eyes glowed a bright yellow and he dashed off as a yellow blur. Olivia scowled as her own eyes glowed a silver colour as she then felt herself speed up and begin to cover more distance. Her hands seemed to shift into a set of black, clawed hands with fingers as sharp as knives as she ran off. 

**??? - Dash**

**A basic ability that boosts the user's speed**

**Son Hyejoo - Feral**

**After years of different genes mixing and fusing, the single ability known as 'Feral' can boost the user's overall physical capabilities and also allows the user to heal from wounds. The more flashy side of it causes the user to grow sharp claws that can cut through anything. All these abilities combined makes Olivia a great all-rounder. It's the ability that she inherited from her mother.**

The thief turned his head and noticed the girl catching up to him. _I- what? My ability allows me to outpace most low levels... no... don't tell me..._ He suddenly felt a rush of fear and worry, _This kid is a high tier?_ The sudden fear he felt seemed to boost him forward as Olivia kept chasing after him, but he was always just out of reach. She scowled and began thinking of ways to take him down. She looked behind her to see Chaewon slowly catching up. But because of her bags she was levitating, she seemed slowed down.

As Olivia began trying to think of a way to get _just_ close enough to take him down, she noticed what seemed to be an ordinary civilian accidentally walk in the way of the thief. She panicked and called out to her. 

"Hey! Look out!" she said as the girl seemed to notice. She seemed frightened as two people were dashing in her direction. She held up her hands in front of her face out of fear. What happened next surprised Olivia. A bright white flash came from her hands and seemed to stun the thief, who tumbled forward. Olivia covered her eyes with her arm and stopped. When the light died down, the thief seemed disorientated on the ground. She walked over and put a foot on his back.

Eventually, both Chaewon and the woman showed up. Chaewon took back the bag and purse as the woman thanked the two. Just as they were about to leave, what seemed like a security guard showed up. 

"Don't think any of you are going anywhere!"  
  


Olivia nodded in a bored manner as she heard what he had to say. To her, all it sounded like was 'Blah Blah, thanks for helping, Blah Blah, be careful though, you can't just use your powers everywhere you go even as high tiers, Blah Blah, I have a stupid haircut,'. He waved as he walked off. Olivia looked to see the person who (accidentally) helped them and was she surprised. She and Chaewon got off with a smile and slap on the wrist, but the other poor girl was getting berated, though it looked like that was it. They winced one last time at the yelling before the other guard put a hand on his partner's shoulder and they walked over to talk to the thief. 

Olivia walked over, "Thanks for helping us out,"

"Yeah, seriously," Chaewon smiled.

"Well... you probably could've handled it on your own... it's my fault for intervening," They said as Olivia laughed awkwardly.

"What?... No, like, you really helped. I don't get why they yelled at you, you were more help than us,"

The other person sighed, "So that's what it's like, eh? Being a High Tier?"

"Royal Tier, actually," Chaewon corrected as Olivia rolled her eyes and the other person sighed. 

"Wow... I'm sure you both know of the Tier system that most schools teach,"

"Mhm," Chaewon nodded, "If you have an ability level of 0-1, you're classified as Menial Tier. 1-2.5 is Low Tier. 2.5-4.5 is Mid Tier, 4.5-6 is High Tier, 6-6.5 is Elite Tier, 6.5-8 is Royal Tier and-"

"-and anything above an 8 is, yeah you guys clearly know your stuff. So I think it's worth saying that for us Low Tiers, this is just how it is. You guys are powerful, maybe stronger than the security, so they respect you. I get told off, it's just how it is..." they murmured, rubbing their right arm with their left hand. Olivia gave a concerned look to Chaewon before putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. 

"What's your name?"

"...Somi- why?"

"Well, Somi, wanna hang out? Me and Olivia," she said, gesturing to she black-haired teen, "Were kinda getting bored, and you probably deserve a lot more credit and fun for helping us out," Somi seemed suspicious, but put her hands in her jacket pockets and sighed. 

"Sure, why not? Beats doing nothing,"

=======

Choerry finished writing one last detail as Seungha finished typing on her laptop. She clicked the last key with a fiery resolve as Choerry hit the paper with the pencil to add the final full stop. The two smiled and high-fived as they both relaxed back into their chairs. Choerry slumped back into her chair and sweater so much so that only her head was above the table meanwhile as Seungha swung back on her chair. Jinsoul laughed a little at seeing the two.

"Done already? Wasn't this supposed to take several days?" She asked with a humoured confusion as Jungeun walked over.

"Did you forget who we're talking to?" She joked as Jinsoul sighed.

"Right, I shouldn't be so surprised," she smiled, walking off as Jungeun looked between the two. 

"So... what are you two gonna do now?" She asked as Choerry hummed in thought.

"I don't really know... Seungha?" She asked as Seungha shrugged.

"I don't know, I don't have any plans so I'm open for anything," She said as Choerry nodded. The girl thought for a few seconds before smiling. She pulled out her phone and called someone as she sat up normally.

 _"Hello?"_ A familiar voice said. 

"HI OLIVIA!" Choerry yelled back. Seungha could imagine Olivia cringing at the volume of the other girl's voice. She heard Olivia sigh and another voice speak up.

 _"Hi Choerry,"_ Chaewon said. 

"So... you guys have any plans for tonight?"

_"Um, no, not really. I was kinda gonna just watch a movie at the dorm-"_

"HOW ABOUT WE ALL DO IT?!" She yelled back as Seungha thought.

"Another movie night?"

 _"That... isn't a bad idea. Jiwoo and Sooyoung are gonna be out of the dorm for the night, so it works,"_ Choerry smiled proudly to herself over her idea. Before she could yell back an answer, Seungha took her phone from her. 

"Nice, let's do it. I'll call Yeojin to come over too. See you later, Hyejoo,"

 _"Bye, Seungha,"_ Olivia said as Seungha hung up and handed Choerry her phone back. Choerry pouted. Seungha sighed but smiled.

"Don't look so down. Come on, let's head to the store to buy some snacks for later," She said as Choerry began smiling brightly. 

"Yay! Popcorn!" Choerry got up and left for the door as Seungha sighed with a smile. As she was about to follow, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Jungeun.

"Thanks... for earlier,"

"No problem. I was just... looking out for another Third-Year?" Seungha replied as Jungeun raised an eyebrow.

"Wait... we're both in the same year?" Jungeun retracted her hand.

"How- wait, you didn't know?" Seungha questioned.

"I don't know, you always were in Choerry's classes and she's a second year. I just assumed you were too," She replied with a shrug.

"You do realise that Second and Third-year students share the most classes, right?"

"Look, shut up. It's been a long day and I'm very tired-" Seungha smiled and put a hand on Jungeun's shoulder.

"Get some rest and have fun with Jinsoul- you both deserve it," Jungeun smiled.

"Don't worry... I will," 

"ARE YOU COMING OR WHAT?!" Choerry asked as Seungha groaned. Jungeun laughed.

"I guess you better go," Seungha nodded and walked to the door as Choerry smiled as she arrived. Jungeun watched the two walk off. For someone, she wasn't always a fan of, Seungha seemed like a genuinely helpful person. But she did worry, what or who made her want to stop being a Pro-Network Battler? And what did she mean by lost love? Jungeun was equal amounts now appreciative of but also confused about Seungha and what her earlier years at this Academy were like.

=======

"YO! Look at all these snacks!" Yeojin said as Olivia sighed. Choerry put one last bowl of popcorn on the coffee table between the sofa they sat on (with the exception of Yeojin, who was 'living it large' by her own words on the armchair, and Chaewon, who was filling a bowl to the brim with popcorn) and the large TV. There was an assortment of many snacks in front of them, ranging from several rainbow coloured candies and sweet popcorn. A few plastic cups and bottles of various sodas and fizzy drinks. 

"Well, this is gonna cause one hell of a sugar rush..." Olivia mumbled as Chaewon sat down next to her, the bowl of popcorn in her lap. 

"How did you guys even pay for all of this?" Chaewon asked, a handful of popcorn already in her mouth.

Seungha shrugged as Choerry smiled, "Turns out Seungha's parents are like, super-rich,"

"The Shin Corporation is a conglomerate that Yuna is set up to inherit," Seungha summed up, "Ryujin and I wanted to become famous Pro-Network Battlers so they let us," she said. _Of course, they didn't know I gave up on that idea..._ "Regardless, me and Ryujin have a lot of money to throw around as a result,"

"Huh... so are we gonna pick a movie or-" Olivia was cut off as Yeojin picked up the remote and found something. 

"How about this? 'Eclipse'- It's like, my favourite film-"

"I thought your favourite film was 'Kiss Late-" Yeojin threw a pack of gummy worms at Choerry's face to shut her up. 

"NO, IT ISN'T!" She tried to assert, failing to convince anyone, but they decided to leave her alone. "ANYWAYS... It has everything you could ever want. Cheesy dialogue, gross alien monsters, massive robots with guns..." she listed as Chaewon shook her head and took the remote and found something else.

"How about the 'One and Only'?"

"Isn't that a romance film between lesbian princesses?" Yeojin asked as Chaewon nodded. Olivia snatched the remote.

"How about my favourite film? 'The Egoist'. One of the most notoriously gory and scary films ever. To the point where after it was first released in cinemas, they had to stop showing it as it induced panic attacks and even gave someone a heart attack,"

"..and you've been fine watching it?" Seungha questioned as Olivia nodded.

"I've had enough exposure, this film doesn't scare me anymore," Olivia said nonchalantly as Seungha could feel a rising sense of anxiety and fear within her. 

"You guys okay with watching this?" She asked as Chaewon and Yeojin both nodded quickly. 

"I've seen this film before with Oli! It's super scary on the first watch but like," she smiled, "I've gotten over it,"

Yeojin meanwhile stood up proud, "I have never seen this film, and I am going to prove to all of you wusses that I am a brave, confident and extravagant soul!" She held her fist up into the air as Olivia stood up and sat Yeojin back down. Choerry knew (or at least hoped) that she would be fine, but she turned her attention to Seungha. A memory from their first movie night came into her head.

===

_The eerie score of the opening scene settled in as the camera panned across what seemed to be the dead body as some hooded murderer in the film dragged it, leaving a bloody trail as the body moved. Choerry noticed Seungha visibly pale and noticed her hands shaking. Cold sweat could be seen on her forehead. She worriedly looked to the screen and back to her. Did she seem to be... trying to hold something back? Or it looked like she was trying to suppress a reaction. Yeojin didn't seem to notice so Choerry paused the film._

_"Hey, how about we watch..." She quickly found another film, "This one?"_

_"Eclipse?" Yeojin briefly read the synopsis, "In outer space... aliens... moon... robots... owls? Okay, this sounds interesting- sure, why not?" Choerry pressed play on the new film and looked back to Seungha, who seemed to calm down. Choerry tapped her on the shoulder, which startled the girl._

_"Hey... you want a glass of water?"_

_"S-Sure..." Seungha replied as Choerry stood up._

_===_

"Hey, are you gonna be okay?" She asked as Seungha paused and shrugged.

"Eh, it's just a film. I'll be fine," Seungha said. Choerry gave her a slightly doubtful look but decided to let it go. She watched as Olivia started the film, wondering what would happen.  
  


To say the very least, Seungha was not fine. She was already in a cold sweat and felt incredibly nauseous. For the past minutes that the film was being played, Seungha had felt her stomach flip and churn and her body shake. Her breathing was getting faster and she felt like the food she had eaten earlier was about to come back out. She felt overwhelmed. With every scream in the film, with every pool of blood she saw... it all felt too bright, too loud. 

That combined with Yeojin who had done a 180 and was now screaming every five seconds, had jumped out of the armchair and between Chaewon and Olivia, and was muttering and murmuring in fear, was enough for her. She shakily stood up. The others looked up to her. She had years to practice showing no emotion, so she was able to guise her sickly feelings.

"I just need to use the bathroom real quick, be right back," She said nonchalantly as she walked off. The others shrugged but Choerry was concerned. 

"I'm going to go get some water," she said as she walked off to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. She then went after Seungha as Olivia took note of her friend's actions.

"Why is she-" 

"Shh!" Chaewon said as she watched the screen intently. Olivia now had a more concerned look on her face for the two.

Choerry heard guttural wrenching from the bathroom. She opened the door to see Seungha throwing up into the toilet. Choerry immediately rushed to her and held back her hair as Seungha continued to spew out sick. Eventually, she stopped and fell onto her hands. Seeing Seungha sweat and her hair dishevelled was something Choerry didn't ever expect or want to see from the girl.

"Seungha?" She asked holding out the glass. Seungha took it and sipped slowly as Choerry sighed. "You okay?"

She took a while to respond before saying, "Could be worse..."

"Seungha?"

"Hm?" the girl responded, her voice sounding weak.

"Do... do you have a reason why horror films make you feel anxious and scared?" She asked as Seungha froze. Choerry put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey... it's alright. I'm your friend... you're mine. I'll look out for you, okay? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but know you can trust me," she reassuringly ran a hand through Seungha's hair and let the older girl lean on her as she wrapped an arm around her.

"...Remember when I told you all the truth? About the day when I hurt someone and everyone scorned me?" Choerry sighed sadly and nodded, rubbing the girl's side.

"...on that day, some friends... my closest... invited me to the movies. At first, I thought 'Great! They're trying to show me they still care!' but... when we got there, we snuck in to watch a horror film... and... they called me a monster and abandoned me. I felt... so... scared. And alone. Even my friends thought I was a monster. I became insecure, afraid... to top it all off, the film seemed terrifying to me when I was younger. I still haven't lived it down... I still hate anything related to gore..." Choerry turned Seungha around, seeing the girl's eyes looking weak and weary. She then pulled the girl in for a hug. 

Seungha melted into it, resting her head against Yerim's shoulder. "It's okay now Seungha... you have us... you don't have to pretend to be okay when you aren't... don't feel afraid to tell us when you're uncomfortable... we're your friends. We'll never let you down, okay?" she asked as Seungha sniffled and responded.

"Okay... thank you, Yerim," 

"You're probably my best friend now... it's my job to look out for you," She said as the two pulled apart. "I'll go tell Olivia to change it, you come back when you're ready," she said as she stood up and left.

Seungha felt an odd sensation in her chest, knowing she now had a... best friend... she hadn't really had a proper one for so long, one so willing to look out for her. She smiled to herself. _Choi Yerim... you are amazing..._

=======

Jiwoo walked back into their dorm to see it... dark. All the lights were off except for the luminous light from the TV. What seemed like credits played as she walked over with a curious expression. She looked to the sofa and gasped quietly in excitement. Sooyoung soon walked in too, carrying 2 bags filled with takeaway food. She noticed Jiwoo's oddly silent excitement and walked over, and felt a warm smile waltz its way onto her face.

They mostly ignored Yeojin, sat on the floor against the sofa with her mouth wide open and saliva dripping out from the side (Sooyoung did her a favour and closed it), and paid more attention to the other four. Olivia was sprawled out on the side as Chaewon seemed to rest peacefully against her. And what shocked both of them was seeing Seungha rest her head against Choerry's, their hands intertwined. The two smiled.

"I guess we'll do them a favour and eat all this takeaway ourselves," Jiwoo said as she grabbed a bag off of Sooyoung as the two walked over to the kitchen area to eat whilst the others slept soundly amongst each other.

**=======**

_**A few days later...** _

"Okay but... could you... explain that again?" Yuna asked with a bright smile as Chaeryeong sighed but did so. The two had been working hard for the past few days. Chaeryeong had fun working with Yuna, though she couldn't deny that the girl wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Although it could get frustrating, Chaeryeong was happy with their current situation. It was far better than working with people like Suyun, who would likely threaten her and make her do all the work. The fact that Yuna was at least trying was a breath of fresh air.

"Okay... I think I get it now!" Yuna smiled as Chaeryeong smiled back. 

"Ah... about time,"

Yuna pouted, "I didn't realise you could be so mean,"

Chaeryeong smiled, "I'm not being mean, just honest," she teased as the two shared a laugh. Lia kept a close eye on them. The two had already been getting along really well. Yuna could joke around and laugh with Chaeryeong and Chaeryeong seemed to enjoy Yuna's company. Lia could see why- Yuna was a kind and funny person if a little naïve. She found it surprising how someone so cheery and happy could be related to Seungha- who was notorious for her icy demeanour, and Ryujin- who sure, was sarcastic and witty, but nowhere near as optimistic.

She also wondered what exactly made Chaeryeong so quick to trust Yuna. Chaeryeong took a while to open up to her and Hyunjin, so she was a little interested. Maybe there was more to their relationship than meets the eye? Maybe... could Chaeryeong...

"Wait, I'm a little thirsty, I'm just gonna go get a drink," She walked over to their room to fetch her drink she brought along.

"Alright!" Chaeryeong said as she looked back and smiled. Lia looked over from her laptop and smiled.

"So... you've warmed up to her pretty quickly," Lia commented.

"Hm? Yeah, I guess," Chaeryeong murmured.

"Is there... any reason?" Chaeryeong looked up a little confused.

"I mean... she's a super nice person, super likeable, has stood up for me... plus, Choerry likes her,"

"Choerry likes everyone," Lia said as Chaeryeong rolled her eyes.

"But she doesn't like bullies," Chaeryeong hummed in thought, "I guess Yuna just makes me feel safe. She can be a little naïve, childish and even a bit of an idiot but... I don't know, something about her is-"

"Do you like her?" Lia asked. Chaeryeong was caught off guard by the sudden question and stammered as she tried to find a response.

"I- Wha- Mayb- Wait- I- Uh..." Lia giggled a little as she noticed the red shade Chaeryeong's face had turned.

"Well? Looks like to me you-" As Yuna walked back in, Chaeryeong covered Lia's mouth.

"You what?" Yuna asked as Chaeryeong smiled. Chaeryeong took her hand off Lia's mouth as Lia smiled.

"Looks like to me you and Chaeryeong are gonna ace this fu-" Chaeryeong covered Lia's mouth to stop her from cursing. Yuna realised (or at least the fake reason) why Chaeryeong covered Lia's mouth as she walked in. 

"Chaeryeong- I'm not a baby, I can hear people curse!" She said as Chaeryeong mentally sighed with relief. 

"Well, you are our little baby," Lia said, getting up and bear-hugging Yuna who yelped.

"Can't... breathe... how... you... so... strong?" she questioned as Lia dropped her back to the ground. 

"Oops... hehe... sorry," Chaeryeong helped Yuna up as Lia looked between the two. She knew Chaeryeong must've felt something for Yuna... maybe she just needed a place to realise it. She didn't want to force the two together, but something about the pairing seemed... natural. Good. Like it was meant to be. Lia looked at her phone.

_**Granny:** _ _Lia sweetie, I'll be running a stall at a carnival for a few days, be sure to come by and see me!_

_**Lia:** _ _Will-do Granny!_

_**Granny:** _ _Thank you, sweetie_

_Granny, you've come through for me again!_ Lia thought as she looked up to her two teammates.

"You know, you two have been working hard non-stop recently. Like, Chaeryeong, you wrote like 51 pages, how do you do that? How do you write like you're running out of time?" Lia asked as Chaeryeong shrugged, "But seriously, you both deserve a break... and, I've heard there's this amazing carnival nearby, you two should go to it!" She said. Chaeryeong looked a little unsure.

"I don't know Lia-"

"OMG CHAERYEONG, CAN WE GO? I USED TO LOVE GOING TO THESE!" Yuna smiled brightly as Chaeryeong's look softened. She smiled.

"Ah- sure, we've done a lot. You've worked very hard, let's go have some fun!" Chaeryeong said as the two went off to go get ready. Lia was a little bothered her friends didn't ask her to join them, but those worries faded when a certain person messaged them.

_**Yeji-bear:** _ _Wanna come over?_

_**Lia:** _ _Sure <3_

=======

"This is so boring..." Yeojin put her pen down with a sigh and rested her head against her palm as her elbows rested against the table. She looked up to see Lisa silently continuing on the laptop she apparently borrowed from Rosé. Yeojin and Lisa had been working non-stop to compensate for the lack of work they had gotten done over the last few days and had also been arguing and bickering in equal amounts. Yeojin was still mad over getting decked in the face and Lisa seemed to just dislike Yeojin's annoying attitude. Vivi watched over from the kitchen counter with interest.

"Will you stop complaining..." Lisa muttered as Yeojin rolled her eyes.

"God, you don't look like the type to take work so seriously," Yeojin muttered.

"Well you don't exactly look like someone who'd be so outspoken- I work hard when I have to, okay?" She responded. Yeojin groaned and slammed her head against the table. Lisa paused for a moment and looked over.

"You good?"

"Why do you care?" Yeojin spat back as Lisa rolled her eyes.

"Agh- we still have time, can we please take a break?" Yeojin asked as Lisa eye-rolled again but paused for a moment. She looked at the work she had gotten done and the number of hours that had passed by. To say she wasn't also a little starved for a distraction was an understatement. She sighed.

"Sure, I'm a little bored too," She admitted, relaxing back into her chair. A foot was raised against the side of the table as she leant back slightly. "Do you losers have any good movies to watch?" She asked as Yeojin rolled her eyes and stood up.

"I don't buy DVDs, we can just stream the movies," She said as she turned on the TV and looked for something interesting to watch. Maybe a dumb action film to make up for all the thinking she had done that day.

"How about this?" Yeojin asked, "It's called, 'Playing With Fire', it's about-"

"A pyromaniac terrorist who has to be taken down by the chic and badass main character?"

"Yes..." Yeojin said, "How... How did you know?" She asked as Lisa walked over.

"I've seen it before. Honestly, these dumb but amazing action films are the shit. And I mean these batshit ones, not some basic ones," Lisa crossed her arms as Yeojin hummed. 

"Ooh wait," She said as she pointed out to another film, "This one is called 'See U Later'-"

"Yeah, about some girl where the guy on her first date turns out to be a mafia boss who her sister, a merciless bounty hunter, has been hired to kill," Lisa answered again, knowing the plot to another one of Yeojin's favourite films.

"Well... what about this one? 'How You Like That'?" 

"The one about a psycho-ex wanting to kill her ex-girlfriend?" Lisa questioned, "Eh, it's plot is way dumber and a lot more contrived plus the comedy is just weird sometimes- but the action scenes are way more insane and just better than the other ones you've mentioned so far," Lisa said again as Yeojin was left silent.

The same person who had decked her in the face a few days ago, the same person who followed and practically worshipped the ground of someone who Yeojin despised, the same person who had been bugging her since her arrival in the dorm, seemed to share Yeojin's taste in films. Yeojin chose not to say anything, not knowing if this was a good or bad thing. She went back to the first film she selected.

"Let's stick with 'Playing With Fire'. The plot isn't too dumb or too serious, comedy is perfectly cheesy and rewatch value is great," She said, sitting down onto the couch as she pressed play. Lisa made herself comfortable in the armchair.

The film had only just finished and to say the two had enjoyed themselves was an understatement. Having someone that actually liked the films Yeojin watched and didn't ridicule the over-the-top action or terrible one-liner dialogue and actually see the ironic value of it all was great. She and Lisa bounced off of each other's jokes and comments surprisingly well. Yeojin had almost forgotten how much she initially disliked Lisa. As the credits ended, Yeojin looked back to the table they were working at.

"Wanna... go back?"

"Eh..." Lisa said, "I don't know... I mean, our break only just started," Lisa said, being well-aware but completely ignoring the fact it had actually been two and a half hours of watching the film. Nevertheless, Yeojin smirked and looked over to the many games discs she kept on a shelf. Lisa looked over the short girl's shoulder.

"That one..." Lisa pointed as Yeojin pulled out a game encased in a metal case with a raised eyebrow. It read 'Square Up: The Ultimate Fighting Tournament- DELUXE EDITION!!!' " _You guys have the deluxe version?!!"_ Lisa said in both utter excitement and disbelief. Yeojin suddenly felt proud about the time she practically flung herself at Vivi's feet as she begged for the game. 

"Well, yeah,"

"Isn't it super expensive?"

"Yeah, well... Vivi was super nice and bought it... wait- you couldn't afford it? Isn't everyone in your dorm, like, super-rich?" Yeojin asked, referring to how Jennie, Jisoo and Rosé were all backed by incredibly wealthy families. Lisa scratched the back of her neck and looked away. 

"Not all of us... my family isn't the most well off... mom divorced dad who also went to prison a few years back. She's able to make ends meet but it means I don't have a lot of money myself. Jen gives me some money now and then but also tries to make sure I don't spend money on stuff she considers 'stupid' or 'unnecessary'..." Lisa explained. Yeojin felt an odd tang of sympathy for the girl. 

"Let me guess," Yeojin said, "That's basically all the fun stuff..."

"Yep..." Lisa muttered as Yeojin looked down to the game case. Honestly, Yeojin was disappointed with it when she bought it, she had hoped there would be way more characters and features given how long it had been in the making. But seeing how excited Lisa was when she first saw it, and how she had seemingly rarely or even never bought any video games due to rules on her own spending and just her lack of money in general, part of her suddenly felt an odd need to...

"Let's play it, come on," She said, putting the disc in the console, "You and I can just relax and have fun," She said as Lisa smiled. A genuine, happy smile. It reminded Yeojin of when Seungha had first broken out of her shell. 

Vivi walked into the room and was surprised at the site. Seeing Yeojin and Lisa get along so well... it made her smile. Reminded her of a certain moment from her own past. She walked over and looked at their work, left lying on the desk. She sighed, realising that it may take a while for the two's break to be finished. She picked up Yeojin's pen and decided she'd help out by doing a fraction of the work for them... as a favour.

=======

"You're right, it isn't that bad,"

Seungha took a sip of the hot beverage in her hands before placing it back down onto the table. Choerry smiled opposite her as the two sat in front of the window of a local coffee shop that wasn't too far from the main building of the school. The two had mostly been hanging out after finishing their project far earlier than most others. Needless to say, Seungha greatly enjoyed her time with Choerry, as evident by the small but earnest smile on her face as she talked with the girl.

"I told you it was good!" She said.

Seungha chuckled, "I told you, I'm not usually into warmer drinks," 

"Is that because of your ice or...?" Choerry asked, genuinely somewhat confused. Seungha let out a short and small laugh before sighing. 

"You may never know," She took another sip as Choerry rolled her eyes and smiled, "That movie night a few days ago was pretty fun,"

"Yep..." Choerry said, thinking back to how she woke up with her head against Seungha's shoulder. She felt her face heat up, "Was really fun,"

"Yeah... I actually wanted to thank you-" Choerry laughed a little before speaking.

"Seungha, you've thanked me like fifty times already,"

Seungha felt her own face heat up, "Y-Yeah, well, I wanted you to know I greatly appreciate you..." She muttered as Choerry felt a blush crawl onto her face at the comment. A weeks ago, this comment was the last thing she would hear from the once cold and isolated girl. She smiled as Seungha continued, "I-I really enjoy your company,"

Choerry giggled, "Thank you, Seungha," she said as she could see a faint smile on the flustered girl's face. Choerry could leave it at that, but she decided to tease the girl just a little more, "Is that why you want to join the Student Body Council?" She asked as Seungha sighed. She was surprised the girl didn't blush and become even more flustered, though this was the usual reaction of Seungha.

"I guess? I really just joined because... well, I wanna help out however I can... the way people talk about me behind my back... if I sit back and do nothing as the Mid and High Tiers pick on anyone beneath them, then how am I any different from Jennie?" Seungha asked, "I wanna help... to make up for how I've treated people in the past..."

Choerry sighed, "You... really need to stop letting the past get to you... you were nowhere near as bad as Jennie!"

"Choerry- I threatened and even sometimes froze anyone who tried to speak to me. The only reason it never worked on you was because of your powers and because your positivity is stronger than any power someone could have," Seungha said as Choerry nodded understandingly. She couldn't properly convince Seungha, and in all fairness, she may not have been the nicest person before this change. Regardless, Choerry still felt like Seungha was holding herself to it too much. 

"Hehe... I still remember how surprised you were when I just melted your ice," She mused as Seungha smiled. 

**Choi Yerim - Pyrokinesis**

**She can create, shape and manipulate fire. She can use this ability to burn, blast away or explode any obstacles in her path, solidify fire, generate heat and even absorb other fire.**

**Power- 9**

**Speed- 8**

**Defence- 7**

**Medical- 2**

**Skill- 9**

**Range- 9**

**Overall level: 7.3**

**Top Ten Rank: 5**

"Yeah..." Seungha chuckled to herself as Choerry tilted her head with a curious smile.

"What is it?"

"I was just thinking," Seungha said, looking down, "You're fire, I'm ice and you melted my cold attitude, like how fire melts ice," Seungha said. She didn't see, but Choerry's face turned a light pink at the statement as she giggled. 

"That's a poetic way of putting it," She smiled. The moment was cut short as something caught Choerry's eye. She looked behind Seungha and a few tables away she saw... Jisoo? She tapped Seungha on the hand and gestured towards the table. Seungha also saw Jisoo and... a guy? What was strange was how the two took a few photos with the food, but by the time they were done, he got up and walked to a different table. Jisoo said a 'thank you' as she began eating at what she had.

"Did he... leave her for someone else?"

"I mean yeah but... looks like she wanted him too... like it was planned or something," Seungha added as she got up. Choerry soon followed. Jisoo noticed the two and her eyes widened.

=======

Chaeryeong laughed at another one of Yuna's stories as Yuna beamed. The two had been out for a while and Chaeryeong had found herself laughing at a lot of Yuna's stories. "Wow... that was pretty dumb," She said as Yuna shrugged. Chaeryeong found something so odd yet curious about Yuna's lack of care.

"I mean, sure, but it made you laugh," Yuna said as Chaeryeong turned a light shade of red and looked away.

"Um... how are things?" Chaeryeong asked as Yuna raised an eyebrow.

"Things?" Yuna mused.

"Like... how's life right now?"

Yuna smiled and looked ahead, "Things are... alright,"

Chaeryeong frowned, "That pause sounds concerning... Yuna, you're my roommate and a good friend, you can tell me if anything is bothering you," she said as Yuna smiled.

"Thanks... well, it's Seungha," She said as she sighed. Chaeryeong patted the younger girl's back.

"Oh... you two fought, right?" Chaeryeong asked. Yuna nodded, "But isn't that what's caused her major personality change? You helped her realise she was hurting herself and a lot of people... what's the problem? If you don't mind me asking," She said as Yuna sighed.

"I mean sure... it helped but," Yuna sighed and stopped walking, "Everything is just so... awkward now. I mean sure, we'll smile and say hi to one another and sometimes walk to school but... there's just this awkward air and silence. Like... before we could talk to each other and now... just silence. We apologised to each other and all but... I wanna catch up and talk... we are sisters," 

Chaeryeong sighed at hearing the younger girl sound so down, so she linked arms with Yuna and began walking. The taller girl noticed and looked to their linked arms and then to Chaeryeong's face, which was now an (in Yuna's mind, cute) shade of pink.

"Yuna... you're one of the funniest and most outspoken people I've met. Just... talk to her again. Call her and arrange a place to talk about recent events. Maybe there are a few things you wanna tell her now that you didn't or couldn't in your apology, and saying them will bring things back to normal," She said.

Yuna smiled and looked down to the ground. "Yeah... I wanna thank her for actually changing and being the great older sister that I know she is... I'm happy for her," Chaeryeong smiled.

"She'll be glad to hear it,"

The two continued walking, the faint sounds of friends, couples and families having fun around them at various stalls and rides. The two smiled in each other's company, neither wanting to let their arms free. Chaeryeong wasn't sure if it was just her, but it felt as if Yuna pulled her in closer by her side. She smiled to herself, her face heating up even more. Her thoughts soon went to how she and Yuna met, how at the time she was very closed off, yet warmed up to Yuna pretty quickly. How Yuna immediately hit it off with her friends, how happy she felt around the girl. Lia and Hyunjin seemed to like her as well.

_Hyunjin..._

Chaeryeong sighed as Yuna looked over, concerned. "What is it?"

"I'm worried about Hyunjin," She said as Yuna sighed and nodded understandingly. "I mean, she's started hanging out with us and her other friends more now... but the choice to move into a dorm by herself seems... weird. I... I didn't do anything wrong, did I?" Chaeryeong asked as Yuna turned to look at the girl. Yuna smiled.

"Ah- you were making fun of me earlier," Chaeryeong pouted, "Chaeryeong- don't be silly. Hyunjin considers you one of her closest friends for good reason. It could never be your fault," Yuna said as Chaeryeong sighed.

"That only makes it more confusing... then what is it? Why did she move dorms?"

Yuna sighed, "Sometimes people need space. And all you can do as a friend is respect that space, give them time to think and reflect on what's happening. Hyunjin realised that whatever her problem was, she needed more time for herself to help amend it. So, she moved dorms," Chaeryeong nodded as Yuna continued. 

"And as her friend, it's your job to make sure she doesn't become trapped in that space. She needs time for herself, but you also need to show her that there's always a way out of that space and a way back in. Give her a fun time, make her feel happy. But let her have time to herself when she needs it. The most we can do is be there for her, and I plan on doing that," Yuna said, smiling to herself. Chaeryeong nodded.

"Thank you... Yuna. I guess that does make me feel a bit better," She smiled as Yuna grinned. As they continued walking, Yuna gasped and went wide-eyed. Chaeryeong looked over confused, seeing the other girl's starry-eyed expression.

"Yuna are you-"

"CHAERYEONG LOOK!" Yuna pointed to an ice cream stand as Chaeryeong chuckled.

"Alright, let's go and get some ice cream,"

"YAY!" Yuna said as the two walked over, arms still linked. As the two walked over, the sweet old lady running the stall smiled as she handed over the ice cream. Chaeryeong looked over, finding the adorable look on Yuna's face a blessing. _'Like a kid in a candy store...'_ Yuna thanked the lady, who smiled.

"Aww, it's a pleasure darling. It's always a treat giving youngsters such as yourselves a good treat whilst on dates," The two paused and both turned a bright shade of pink, "Ooooh! I just love seeing all these young couples! Reminds me in my glory days!" She said as the two awkwardly walked off. The old lady watched the two walk away and pulled out her phone. 

_**Grandma Choi:** _ _Are you sure your friends aren't dating Lia?_

_**Lia:** _ _I KNOW RIGHT?_

_**Grandma Choi:** _ _Well, I like to think I may have given them a nudge in the right direction_

_**Lia:** _ _Let's hope it is in the right direction_

The air was awkward, the two's arms were still interlocked. "Haha... couple..." Yuna laughed awkwardly before rapidly licking away at her ice cream to try and distract herself and maybe cool off the sudden heat on her face.

"Y-Yeah, w-we're not a couple..." Chaeryeong muttered just as awkwardly.

"Y-Yep..." Yuna said. Both shared the same feeling, however. The odd sense of discomfort, perhaps not at the idea of them being a couple, but rather, the idea they weren't. Chaeryeong nor Yuna knew what it was, but both now felt uncomfortable with the now thick, awkward air. However, that all disappeared for Yuna as her eyes went starry once more. It took a good while before Chaeryeong noticed, and traced the younger girl's line of sight.

"...you wanna go on the Ferris wheel?" Chaeryeong asked as Yuna smiled and nodded, her face now a lighter shade of pink. Chaeryeong and Yuna walked over, the once awkward air and uncomfortable silence now gone and replaced with a silence that felt more warm and gentle. 

=======

"So, that was my fake boyfriend,"

" _WHAT?!/..._ What?" Both Choerry and Seungha said at the same time.

Jisoo sighed as the two looked at her with confused expressions. The last thing she needed was anyone from her school coming here, especially when it was someone like Seungha or Choerry. She closed her eyes and leant back in her seat a little. "How about you both take a seat so I can explain?" Jisoo asked as the two nodded and sat opposite the girl. Jisoo opened her eyes again and took a deep breath before explaining. 

"One thing to know about me?" Jisoo said, "I'm actually gay... like, really gay. Not only that but... I also really like Rosé," Jisoo said as Choerry was about to let out a loud squeal, only for it to be muffled by Seungha's hand on her mouth. Jisoo cringed a little but thanked Seungha. "Ever since I met her... she's just become my world... any time I see her smile, I smile. Every time she laughs, I laugh. Anytime she feels pained... I feel pain. I love her... I really do- oh, you can stop covering her mouth now,"

Seungha nodded and removed her hand. Jisoo felt her face heat up a little from embarrassment as Choerry looked at her with a starry-eyed expression and large beaming smile as Seungha herself had a small but noticeable smile at hearing the story of how Jisoo loved Rosé so much. But it still left one question unanswered.

"That's honestly adorable but... what does that have to do with the fake date?" Seungha asked as Jisoo sighed. 

"Me and Jennie... we used to be friends. Known each other since childhood. But one day... she changed. She became more cold and apathetic. Like the once adorable and charming girl was replaced by someone else... I didn't like it. Now, you're probably thinking 'What does this have to do with anything?'. Well... Jennie learnt of my secret. Had this been the old Jennie, I couldn't care less. But... the new one... she doesn't hate me for it at all... but she knows my parents will,"

"Hm?" Seungha asked.

"My parents... are super traditional. They wouldn't approve of me and Rosé. They're already trying to get me to date some guys they think would be good boyfriends, I don't want to imagine how bad it would be if they learnt that I was gay and wanted to date Rosé. Jennie is well-liked by them, and she knows it. She said that... if I stopped being her friend or didn't do as she said... she'd reveal to my parents what I'm really like..." Jisoo said. Seungha's fist clenched as Choerry seemed really concerned.

"That... that's terrible! Why would she blackmail you like that?"

"She's a major fucking control freak... it doesn't fucking surprise me she'd do something like that..." Seungha said as she grimaced, _She's tried to pull the same shit of keeping me under her control as well..._ Seungha thought. Both Jisoo and Choerry felt a sudden drop in temperature.

 _'I know she and Jennie have a past but... why does it sound like she's speaking from experience?'_ Both Jisoo and Choerry wondered. Jisoo coughed, breaking Seungha out of that trance.

"I'm fine though, sort of. I'm just glad I could finally tell some people about it. It's been weighing me down for ages," Jisoo said, "The guy you just saw is someone who helps me fake dates and makes my parents think all is good," Seungha stood up, which earned a questioning look from Jisoo.

"Jisoo... you shouldn't have to do this... I can't keep letting Jennie get away with stuff like this," She said as Jisoo looked surprised. "Don't worry... I'll find a way to put her in her place. A way to make sure Jennie's bullshit doesn't keep happening,"

"Seungha..." Jisoo muttered as Choerry stood up too.

"Yeah! Jennie's actions keep going too far! She has to learn that all this is wrong! I don't usually like going up against people, but I'll help however I can! I'll go up against her if it means people don't have to worry about her causing trouble anymore! I'll do whatever it takes," Choerry said with a fiery look of determination on her face.

Jisoo mused at the idea and smiled. "You guys... you're like a cold arctic blizzard or a burning fire. You're both relentless and will fight on until your goal is accomplished... I like that," Jisoo said with a smile.

=======

Lisa smirked as Yeojin groaned. 

_"THE WINNER IS:_ _**LiLiBlaze** _

Once again, Lisa had found herself victorious against Yeojin, who had been on a losing streak. Yeojin rolled her eyes as Lisa fist-bumped into the air. Yeojin then looked back to their work, to see Vivi working diligently for them. She snickered and tapped Lisa on the arm, who turned around, surprised to see Vivi working for them. 

"Wow, she seems nice," Lisa said, feeling a bit of guilt since this was the same person she jokingly said she would try to make moves on just to annoy Haseul.

"Tell me about it, if we're lucky, we'll have way less work," Yeojin said, turning back to the TV. She then pressed the rematch option again and pressed a button on Lisa's controller to do the same whilst the other girl still had her eyes on Vivi.

"What's with her arm?..." Lisa asked, looking at the silver-plated arm as Yeojin nodded.

"Ah right, that," she said, eyes still glued on the TV as she mercilessly beat Lisa's character whilst the other girl wasn't looking. "Vivi's a Binate- someone with two abilities. Her first is Time Manipulation, the one everyone knows about. Her second is something she doesn't exactly go out of her way to hide but not many people know about,"

"The arm?" Lisa said, turning to look at Yeojin for a moment (who decided to quickly stop pressing so many buttons) before looking back to Vivi (which caused Yeojin to start playing again).

Yeojin nodded, "She calls it the 'Cybernetic Virus'. A weird ability that was awakened since birth and which causes her organic body to slowly be replaced over time by mechanical stuff and metal over time. Her Time Manipulation powers, however, caused its growth to be frozen, which is why only her arm is mechanical- it turned cybernetic before her Time Manipulation powers were fully mastered,"

"Huh," Lisa said, "Rosé is a Binate too,"

"Really?" Yeojin asked, temporarily looking away from the screen.

"Yep," Lisa said. She watched as Haseul walked in and began talking to Vivi. Whilst she couldn't really hear what they were saying, she did notice the slight pink tints on their faces. Yeojin turned around, following Lisa's gaze onto the blushing pair. Yeojin snickered.

"Heh, doesn't it look like those two like each other? Like... like-like? I mean look at them!" She said, causing Lisa to smirk.

"Yeah, those two definitely like each other," Lisa said as she remembered something, "Actually, Haseul definitely does," 

Yeojin refrained from saying a 'No shit,' in response and gestured for Lisa to continue.

"Well, during our fight-"

"-haha, you got your ass kicked," Yeojin laughed as Lisa rolled her eyes but smiled for some odd reason.

"Yeah, I lost- anyways, during our fight, I... may have said a few things about Vivi. Haseul went ballistic and I lost," Lisa said as Yeojin was silent for a few moments before bursting out into a fit of cacophonous laughter. 

"O-Oh, my god! That's such a dumbass move!" She cackled, "Wow... I respect it though. Insulting someone's crush usually awakens something in them. Not even I would try anything like that," Yeojin said as Lisa smirked.

"Well, I'm a pretty brave person," She said proudly.

"More like reckless," The two shared a laugh as Yeojin sighed, "Wow, you'd be so fun to hang out with if you weren't so attached to that bitch," Yeojin said, not noticing Lisa's smile dropping.

"Who... Jennie?" Lisa asked as Yeojin rolled her eyes.

"Pfft, who else?"

"She isn't that bad-"

"Oh, come on. Really?" Yeojin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Sure, she's done bad stuff, but I'm sure she's-"

"Girl, she bullies anyone weaker than her, insults anyone that looks at her funny, and uses you like a ragdoll- she's a bitch," Lisa looked away, "For someone so cool, you have terrible taste in people. I have no idea why you'd hang out with her, she's just pure evil," Yeojin said again, causing Lisa to stand up abruptly.

"I... need to go," Lisa said, trying to appear calm but began storming out of the room. Yeojin was surprised and stood up.

"Oh, come on! You even talked about her dumb spending rule-"

"And you think that means I hate her too?! I..." Lisa fell quiet for a while before speaking up again. Vivi and Haseul now looked over to the loud pair that they ignored earlier, "...I love her,"

Yeojin rolled her eyes, "Are you sure you really know her the same way everyone else does?" Yeojin asked. Haseul noted the sudden rise in hostility in the young girl's voice, "We have to put up with so much of her bullshit! She tries her hardest to step on everyone beneath her! You're so lovey-dovey you can't even seem to realise how shit she really is,"

And at that moment, Lisa snapped, "Don't act as if you know her!" Lisa said, lunging forward. Yeojin was caught off guard and her eyes widened. Vivi sprung into action, her eyes glowing a light pink as Lisa was frozen in place, her entire body now coated with an odd pink energy. 

"I've frozen her in time," Vivi said, "What now?" She asked Haseul. Haseul remembered what she said to Lisa, but she looked towards Lisa's eyes- the only part Vivi didn't freeze. She saw... something she didn't expect. Shock, regret and... fear. Haseul sighed. 

"Yeojin... do you mind stepping outside for a moment?" She asked as Yeojin threw up her arms in surprise.

"What?!" Yeojin said, "But she tried to attack me!"

"I know it's just... let's talk outside," She said. Yeojin huffed but walked out. Haseul sighed and walked over to Lisa. Vivi unfroze her, and to her surprise, she began apologising immediately.

"LookI'msorryit'sjustsortaagutinstinctIdidn'twannaactuallyhurt-"

"Lisa... I know you're sorry. Just... give me some time to talk to Yeojin... and take a good few minutes to think about what happened," Haseul replied calmly, causing Lisa to relax slightly.

As Haseul stepped outside, Yeojin raised an eyebrow.

"So... let's talk sensitivity, shall we?"

======

Yuna looked out of the glass window of the Ferris Wheel carriage they were in, the sky painted with orange and pink hues and the city seeming calm and relaxed- a midpoint between the bustling day and the lively night. The ice cream she was once having was now finished as she and Chaeryeong sat beside each other. Chaeryeong looked over to the girl, noticing how thoughtful Yuna seemed.

"What are you thinking about?" Chaeryeong asked as Yuna unexpectedly sighed.

"School- my old one," she specified as Chaeryeong nodded.

"What was it like? If you don't mind me asking," Chaeryeong said.

"It was... fun. I had lots of friends, people liked me, I was respected and generally pretty popular. I know a lot of academies have a ranking system like ours does- and back there I was the top. Everything was perfect if I'm honest,"

"Then... why leave?" Chaeryeong asked, "It sounded nice. Why abandon your friends?"

Yuna sighed, "I didn't abandon them. They abandoned me..." She trailed off, causing Chaeryeong to go silent. This seemed... like a painful topic for Yuna. She seemed to suddenly go quiet and reserved, something that Chaeryeong could recognise as odd. She may not have been the best at reading people, and usually relied on external quirks they did in certain moods, but she could definitely see something off.

"Yuna..."

"I'm fine though, really," Yuna rushed out with a forced smile, not convincing the other girl.

"I'm not good at reading people, Yuna... you know that... just be honest with me," Chaeryeong asked. Yuna's smile dropped as her head drooped. Chaeryeong rubbed the other girl's back, moving a little closer to her side.

"There was this kid... my best friend... they helped train me and make me stronger. I went from someone who was moderately powerful to the school's number one. At the time, Seungha and I didn't talk much and we didn't train as often- so my friend would train with me instead. We became close and they were amazing... introduced me to so many other people and friends..."

"...but?" Chaeryeong asked, daring to poke just a little further.

"But... it was all an act. They already got wind of my powerful siblings thanks to this school's reputation. As a result, they wanted to build me up. Make me realise how powerful I was... just to knock me down to make themselves look better and feel better. It felt awful... not only that, but they spread all sorts of nasty rumours... I hated it," Yuna's hands clenched into fists. Chaeryeong put her hand onto one of Yuna's. Yuna looked down and exhaled, relaxing her hand and taking Chaeryeong's hand into her's.

"I... was so scared. I felt like I couldn't trust anyone... but something happened. Seungha... my big sister, who was usually so cold... helped me. She took care of me after those guys beat me up in the fight, she talked to me, comforted me... and it made me realise something,"

Chaeryeong raised an eyebrow, "Hm?"

"Yeah, people can do mean things and we never truly know others intentions. People that look good can actually be bad, people that look bad can actually be good. It's always good to be careful and not too trusting, but you get nothing if you trust no one... there's always a balance. And that's where I am now," Yuna said, a small smile on her face, "I'm ready to fight if they want to fight, but I'm ready to accept them if they want to be a friend,"

Chaeryeong stayed quiet, Yuna concerned if she said something wrong without realising. She felt Chaeryeong's clasp around her hand tighten. "Yuna... do you trust me?"

Yuna was caught off guard by the question but smiled with sincerity. "Chaeryeong... I trust you more than even my sisters. Because... well... you're my best friend," she said, tightly holding the other girl's hand in hers. There was a long silence, the two of them looking to the floor, neither daring to speak to break the tranquility of the situation. They felt... safe, in each other's hands.

"You're my best friend too y'know..." 

Chaeryeong said quietly as Yuna looked over to her.

"...Thank you,"

"You know," Chaeryeong began, "I think I like that about you. You're ready to trust and make friends, I can barely do that," She said as she sighed. "Things were... messy for me when I first joined,"

"How so?" Yuna asked as Chaeryeong sighed.

"People... are odd. Some judge people only for their ability... and those people made a life here terrible. They saw my ability as 'creepy' and 'weak'. I could see and judge their abilities and levels, and that scared them. So, to show how truly powerful they are, they attack me," Chaeryeong scoffed quietly, "I hated it... I couldn't trust anyone, not even my own roommates... I never tried talking to them and always tried to avoid them, I even barricaded my own bedroom door,"

Yuna's eyes widened at that. _How terrible must it have been for her to go to that extreme? People really made her that scared?_

"They obviously didn't deserve it- Lia and Hyunjin are great people, but I didn't know that. But... it changed,"

"When?" Yuna asked as Chaeryeong smiled and let out a small chuckle.

"A certain optimist had shown me care and compassion, despite being one of the Top Ten, she still treated me as an equal," _Choerry,_ Yuna realised and smiled, "She showed me how people were odd. Different. So, I then opened up to Hyunjin and Lia, wanting to trust them too, and the rest is history,"

Yuna looked down to the ground and smiled. "I still have trouble trusting people but... she really helped,"

"That Choerry... she is a little odd. She somehow melted my sister's icy shell and befriended her," She said as Chaeryeong smiled.

"It's why I think Seungha is really changing," Chaeryeong said as Yuna smiled, "Choerry is a great person, she somehow always knows something is hurting someone and is always willing to help out,"

"Yeah... she's really something,"

"Still," Chaeryeong said, smiling, "I still think it was more your doing, Seungha really cares for you... and I see why," She said, causing Yuna to smile, "Choerry has been trying for ages to get Seungha to talk to her and it didn't work. Don't discredit yourself, Seungha is almost certainly doing it for you and Ryujin too,"

Yuna smiled at the thought as Chaeryeong rested her head against the taller girl's shoulder.

=======

Yeojin walked back in as Lisa rubbed her arm awkwardly and avoided the other girl's gaze. Yeojin meanwhile looked away and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. Haseul signalled Vivi over to the kitchen, where the two began to make dinner for the night as Yeojin and Lisa stood, neither daring to speak first. Yeojin sighed. 

"Look, I'm sorry," She said, sighing, "It was a dick move to insult Jennie when she isn't even involved in the conversation, and I have no idea what your past is with Jennie-"

"I wanna know," Lisa cut off, causing Yeojin to stop.

"Know... what?"

"The things Jennie does... why you dislike her," Lisa asked as Yeojin sighed, moving to sit onto the couch as Lisa went and did the same. Yeojin leant forward, resting her elbows on her knees, clasped her hands in front of her face and closed her eyes before letting out one more sigh and continuing.

"When I first started out in this school, I had quite a few friends. I liked them all, we all did whatever we found fun, it was great... until Jennie decided she didn't like that," Yeojin said.

"Why?" Lisa asked.

"Pfft, happens a lot. Some snooty-ass High and Elite Tiers think us Low and Mid Tiers shouldn't be so free. That we should kneel at their feet. Of course, I was never about that. Jennie hated that," Yeojin began, "Jennie thrives off of the system that lets Higher Tiers push around Lower Tiers. It's how so many powerful bullies in this school do what she wants, go after who she wants. So when she sees me, a Mid Tier not taking anyone's shit, it enraged her,"

Yeojin sat up normally as Lisa stayed quiet before finally speaking up again, "So, what did she do?"

"Well, after I'd said to her face numerous times how little she scared me, she realised just beating me in a fight wasn't going to get me to shut up. So, she sent some High Tiers that would listen to her to go after my friends... and well..."

"Well?"

Yeojin let out a short but sad laugh, "They left me, didn't want to hang out with someone so loud-mouthed. For once, I felt bad. My dumbass got people hurt, so they made the right choice and left. Of course, I sorta got over it and realised it was more Jennie's fault if anything... but still," She crossed her arms, "Sometimes I wonder what it'd be like if some of my best friends didn't ditch me... we barely speak or interact anymore like we're all strangers,"

Lisa stayed silent for a few minutes. To her, things seemed to make a lot more sense. It's why Yeojin disliked Jennie so much. Jennie cut off Yeojin's closest friends, of course, it'd bother her. She simply sighed.

"I'm sorry... I didn't know-"

"I know," Yeojin said, scoffing, "Why are you apologising for? It wasn't you who did that," Yeojin said more quietly as Lisa crossed her arms and leant back. "I have new friends now, and Jennie wouldn't dare try to pick a fight with three of the top ten students- even if she's the Number 2, she knows I've got strong people backing me,"

"...still, sounds terrible..."

"Kinda is for us Lower Tiers, we get pushed around a lot. I'm one of the few who ever says anything about it," Yeojin replied.

"You don't deserve that... no one does,"

"Bold words coming from the one who nearly decked me in the face-" Yeojin cut herself off and her eyes widened, looking over to see Lisa's hands clenched and shaking. 

"I-I know I shouldn't have done that... it's just..."

"Lisa..." Yeojin began, "What is _your_ history with Jennie?"

A long pause. Then a sigh. "I was a shy student. Barely talked to anyone. Hell, even got picked on. But... I met Jennie. And she wasn't always the bad and manipulative student she is now, she used to be really kind," out of the corner of her eye, Yeojin could see Vivi looking over, "She was friends with Seungha and Vivi at the time. They were great... they were role models.. powerful yet kind. I looked up to them... so much so that after she helped me out, I fell for her..."

"Jennie?" Yeojin asked.

"Who else?" Lisa asked, smiling, "She was great... but taken. Already dating. I didn't care though. Every conversation still put me on cloud nine. I trained, became stronger, all just for her. So I could be someone she respected. That's all I ever wanted... but..." 

"But then?..." Yeojin asked as Lisa sighed.

"She changed... power went to her head. Gradually, she became worse and worse. Bullied people, manipulated people, drove away her closest friends... and basically became the Jennie you hate," Lisa said, sadness evident on her face, "I thought..." she let out a sad laugh, "I thought I could be the one to change her but... all I did and am doing is allowing her to get away with it... and... I'm not sure anymore... sure if I still love her or not..."

Yeojin raised an eyebrow at this as Lisa sighed, "I'll get all defensive if anyone speaks badly about her... but I understand where people are coming from... I don't know what to do..." Yeojin fell silent and leant back into the couch as Lisa continued, "I'm sorry about what happened a few days ago and just now. You didn't deserve it... and you're right, maybe I am just being used as a puppet..."

Yeojin sighed and patted the other girl's back, "Apology accepted, I'd want to beat the shit out of anyone who insulted my best friends too. And... I'm sorry too. You aren't Jennie. And I can't judge you," _Entirely,_ Yeojin thought to herself, "For the people you're friends with, I don't know your pasts or histories and you're right, maybe I don't know Jennie how you do, bitch seems way more complicated than I thought..."

Yeojin sighed, "Don't let your love for Jennie blind you to the bad she does... and don't feel like just because you once did or still do love her that you can't criticise her. Jennie is the type of person reliant on others for her power... and for some reason, I feel like she's extra reliant on you, so you hold way more sway than you realise,"

Yeojin stood up, "To summarise- I'm right, Jennie can be and is a major manipulative bitch... but you're also right, I don't know-know everyone, I might think I do, but I don't. There are always two sides to a story, yada yada, all that jazz," 

"So... what do I do?" Lisa asked as Yeojin stayed quiet.

"Don't listen to what your brain says is right, your feelings are important and also deserve priority and attention. Don't listen to what your heart says is right, that thing is a romantic time bomb or overly dramatic sac of emotion. Listen to your gut. It's your instinct, the first thing your body does to keep you alive. Listen to that, trust your gut, you'll find a way,"

"Yeah... maybe you're right," Lisa said, standing up.

"Look... I'm sorry," Yeojin said, "You are a cool person and sound like a great friend... we should hang out more,"

"Yeah... and you know what?" Lisa said, causing Yeojin to raise an eyebrow, "Jennie ain't holding me back, you're... pretty awesome too," Lisa said, extending out her hand. "Friends?"

Yeojin smiled, taking it and shaking it, "Friends!"

"Aww, that's lovely," Vivi said, smiling sweetly, "Now if only you two could finish that project instead of letting me do the rest of it," she smiled without a change in her happy tone, pointing to the table they were working at, "Hm?"

Lisa and Yeojin looked to each other and laughed, "Sure, you've done enough," Yeojin said walking over to finish their project. The two were able to finish it that night and ended up playing a few more games and watching more films as Vivi and Haseul prepared food.

=======

"Hey, Lisa, where you going?" Haseul asked as Lisa headed for the door. Lisa turned around and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. 

"I... was going back to the dorm," she explained.

"Ah... have the others got dinner ready for you?" Vivi asked as Lisa sighed. Yeojin looked over with a raised eyebrow.

"No... not really," she rubbed her arm and sighed, "Jennie always goes to some high-end fancy restaurant with some rich kids or sometimes her parents. Rosé and Jisoo usually go out to this one diner every night with some friends... I'm usually left alone at the dorm and get some takeaway. It's kinda how things have become," she explained, getting her phone out and turning around again. She opened an app to order some food but before she could get out the door, Yeojin put a hand on the taller girl's shoulder.

"Lisa... come on. Vivi's a great cook, you'll love this homemade stuff over the shitty processed shit," She said, dragging the taller girl over, "We all usually eat together like this... it's sorta our thing," Yeojin said as she sat down. Lisa stood next to an empty chair and looked over at the other two who were also sat down.

"I don't wanna impose-"

"Lili it's fine!" Haseul said. Lisa decided not to question the nickname or the fact Haseul seemed far friendlier now, "We don't mind you joining us today or any day!" She smiled. Lisa couldn't deny, she did feel an odd sense of warmth and acceptance. She smiled and sat down.

"Well... I guess this would be better than some second-rate pizza," she said. 

As the night went on, Lisa found herself smiling and enjoying the company of the other three. She may not end up admitting it to Yeojin, but she may want to come back to their dorm soon to share another meal like this. 

=======

"Congratulations, all of your assignments were great," Sunmi said, with a smile, "Whilst I do think some of you could've done better, I am still pretty proud of you guys," she said, a lot happier and seemingly more refreshed than she was on the day she set the assignments. 

"First off, Seungha and Choerry- not surprised at all you two did amazingly and were the best in the class," Choerry smiled brightly as Seungha just nodded with a small smile. "Yuna and Chaeryeong- you guys also did great," Yuna smiled and turned to Chaeryeong with a thumbs up before offering a high-five. Chaeryeong rolled her eyes and high fived the girl. "And Yeojin and Lisa- what did I tell you? You guys did a lot better than I expected," Lisa and Yeojin shared a knowing nod to each other as people began talking as Sunmi prepared to continue.

Yuna smiled brightly and Chaeryeong, "Did you hear her?" She asked, "SHE SAID WE DID GREAT!" She cheered as Chaeryeong giggled.

"Yeah, I guess we do make a pretty good team... even if I have to make sure you don't keep slipping up," Yuna pouted as Chaeryeong laughed a little. But, as a certain person walked over, she felt that smile dropped.

"Hey..." Suyun said. Yuna rolled her eyes.

"What do you want?" Yuna asked as Suyun looked to the floor and rubbed her arm awkwardly.

"Hehe... I kinda... wanted to apologise to Chaeryeong, actually," she said nervously as Chaeryeong raised an eyebrow.

"What- really?" She asked. Suyun nodded.

"Yeah well... working with Yunkyoung made me realise, shit's hard for you lower tiers and... me bullying you just makes it worse... I'm sorry," she said as Chaeryeong smiled.

"...I accept your apology," Chaeryeong smiled as Suyun looked up.

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, I guess if you really are sorry, then sure," Suyun smiled as Yuna put an arm around Suyun and another around Chaeryeong. 

"Well... how about we all go out for a coffee after school to commemorate this occasion?" She said, only before whispering to Chaeryeong, "I did use commemorate correctly... right? I don't really know what the word means," which caused Chaeryeong to use every ounce of self-restraint she had not to burst out laughing. 

"Sounds like a plan," Yunkyoung said, walking over with a smile. Suyun smiled over at the girl, a faint pink blush visible on her face. _Does Suyun... like Yunkyoung? That's what Choerry told me blushes meant..._ Chaeryeong noted the faint blush and looked over to Yuna, feeling her face heat up. She then moved a hand to her own face and felt it. _Oh... do I... like... Yuna?_

Chaeryeong's eyes widened.

"So yeah, Sorn ended up being pretty cool to work with," Chaewon said as Sorn nodded. 

"Yeah, Chaewon's pretty cool too," Sorn said with a smile as Lisa and Yeojin nodded, "Anyways... you two didn't like... almost murder each other or anything... right?" Lisa and Yeojin looked at each other, only to then start laughing. "Wh-What's so funny?!" Sorn asked as Chaewon also noted how odd it seemed.

Yeojin wiped a tear, "Oh... I mean sorta, but things are chill now,"

"Yeah, turns out we got a lot in common," Lisa said, "Well, except height," 

"HEY!" Yeojin said, punching Lisa on the arm.

"Ow! HEY IF YOU'RE SO TINY WHY DOES IT HURT?!"

"CALL ME TINY ONE MORE TIME YOU BIT-" As the two started bickering, Chaewon and Sorn shared a laugh.

"Well, for some reason," Sorn began, "This feels a lot better than when the two were arguing before, like, there's no _real_ hostility or anything,"

"I think the two are actually friends," Chaewon said. Watching the two argued reminded her in the same way Olivia and Yeojin would also bicker like friends, and made her realise something. Yeojin... had the uncanny ability to somehow befriend the most unlikely of people. Choerry, the positive student body president, Olivia, the tough and scary student people avoided, Chaewon, the privileged psychic and Seungha, the icy loner. Chaewon didn't know how, but Yeojin just seemed to attract the oddest of people. 

Choerry looked at Seungha and beamed happily. "Well, we did it!"

"Yep," Seungha said.

"Honestly, feels so great,"

"Yep,"

"Like, I know we did it days in advance but-"

"Yep, yeah, by the way, there's some dude behind you," Seungha said as Choerry looked befuddled and turned around.

"Hey," the guy said as Choerry yelped back as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Wait... do I know you?" She asked as the guy nodded.

"Sorta. I'm the dude Jisoo is fake-dating," He said as the two nodded. "We usually take pictures of our food to send to our parents to get them off our backs. We're actually long time friends and both our parents are equally as traditional. So, we fake-date. Jisoo is working up the courage to confess to Rosé and I already have a boyfriend," he explained as the two nodded.

"Why did you come to speak with us?" Seungha asked as he sighed.

"Wow, you are straight to the point... anyway, it's because I want you guys to help Jisoo. I overheard what you guys said and if you two really can, then please, do it. I want Jisoo to be able to do what she wants without being under the threat of Jennie. So please, however you plan to do it, do it. I want my friend to be free," he said as the two nodded.

"Don't worry dude, we'll help your friend-"

"-Because she's our friend too!" Choerry cut off with a mix of happiness and determination. Seungha rolled her eyes with a smile. To her, it didn't matter what Jennie tried to pull. She already knows, no matter what Jennie does, she has Choerry. And to Seungha, that's all she could ever ask for. 

Choerry was Seungha's best friend.

And Jennie could never change that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed it!
> 
> I like to think of Lisa as Yeojin if Yeojin cared about schoolwork and tall. Lisa's got a role to play later on so let's hope she's ready for it! 
> 
> Choerry and Seungha are always a great pair and Lipsoul are some of my favourite characters to write so that part was great. Also, Jisoo and Rosé have plenty to do too... let's just say Blackpink will be busy in a few chapters.
> 
> OMG and Yuna and Chaeryeong? Ugh, they're so cute and fun to write! 
> 
> This was a fun little segment to write and lays some groundwork for later.
> 
> Like I said, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!


	5. The Timeless Tale of the Frozen Knights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twitter: @EdensCuteGarden
> 
> MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!
> 
> I tried my best to finish this chapter in time for December 25th and I hope you're all excited! This is the longest chapter I've written yet, so let's dive into how Seungha, Jennie and Vivi all seem to know each other and what exactly their past is...
> 
> Also please give my twitter a follow if you can and if you know any friends who are interested in a Loona fic to read then please send them this fic because I want to see how many people we can get reading this fic!
> 
> Lastly, please drop a lengthy comment about all the things you enjoyed, the ones I did recieve really helped me work through this chapter so I hope you all enjoy it! I do read every single one even if I don't immediately reply. 
> 
> Thank you and here we go...

Jennie pulled on her leather jacket tighter around her body as she looked down to her phone screen before pocketing it and grumbling to herself, her breath frosted and visible in the cold air of the night. The street lamp she was under gave her some light but it was still mostly dark in the car park of the student dorm building. Just as she was ready to call it a night and stop waiting around in the freezing cold air, another figure emerged from the dark of the night and was visible under the streetlamp alongside Jennie. Jennie smiled.

"Hwasa! You sure took your time!" Jennie said passive-aggressively, still annoyed at the fact she had waited many minutes outside in the cold. Hwasa rolled her eyes.

"Pfft, careful what you say, I might just leave you out here," She said as Jennie shook her head. 

_'Agh- why is she always the hardest one to convince to do things?!'_ She thought annoyedly in her head as she smiled. "Aha- right, sorry! It's just so _fucking freezing!"_ She said, her voice becoming angry and venomous at that last part. Hwasa sighed and put her hands in the warmth of her pockets.

"Yeah, you are right. It is cold," She said, looking around her before looking back at Jennie. "So, what did you call me out here for? Wheein's a little bothered," 

Jennie smiled, "I've been having a hard time with a student recently-"

"So, you want me to mess around with them to teach them a lesson, and in exchange, you give me some money?" Jennie nodded vigorously, so glad that she caught on quickly, "Hmm, depends. Who is it?"

Jennie felt blood rush away from her face and prayed that the light of the streetlamp didn't reveal how she paled. "O-Oh well, it's no one special," Jennie said, trying to brush it off but Hwasa raised an eyebrow. 

"You stuttered. Why is it so hard to just say their name?"

"It's not like it matters, your abilities will work fine regardless," Jennie said as Hwasa groaned. 

"For fuck's sake, just tell me!" She barked as Jennie looked to the floor. 

"...Do you know the name, Vivi?" Jennie asked as Hwasa's eyes widened.

"You mean your academy's _number one?"_ She asked as Jennie scoffed. 

"What? You scared or something?" Jennie said, trying to get at the girl's pride only for Hwasa to give Jennie an incredulous look.

"Seriously?" She asked. Before Jennie could answer, Hwasa did, " _Yes!_ She's a Monarch Tier! I'm only an Mid! The hell do you even need me to do?"

Jennie rolled her eyes, "Use your ability on her?"

**Ahn Hyejin - Illusion**

**She can induce and create mental or perceptual illusions which cause targets to see, hear, touch, smell and/or taste things which do not actually exist or cause them to perceive things differently from what they truly are. However, those with a strong mental fortitude can resist or see through these illusions.**

Hwasa scoffed, "I don't care what your stupid plan is Jen. I wouldn't have cared if it was some Mid or High Tier getting too big for their boots, but I am _not_ messing with Monarch Tiers. And neither should you!" She said as Jennie rolled her eyes. 

"I'm only a few points off of being one myself, don't try to lecture me!" She retorted as Hwasa rolled her eyes and walked off. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Anywhere but listening to your dumb plan, this is something I ain't messing with!" She said as she began to storm off.

 _'Oh, Hwasa... why can't you just listen to me when I'm being nice and reasonable?!'_ Jennie thought as her eyes glowed a bright red. What seemed like a translucent red-figure stood in front of Hwasa as the girl backtracked a few steps. It had a texture like smooth glass and looked like some form of a knight, armour making up its entire body with spikes on some of the platings. It had what seemed like two wing-like appendages sprouting out of it's back. A pair of red glowing eyes could be seen from the visor of the helmet as it held two sharp red swords. It pointed one at Hwasa who glanced back to Jennie who sighed. 

"Tch, you people make it so hard for me... and yourselves," Jennie said, walking around to stand beside her knight.

**Kim Jennie - Knight Creation**

**She can create a Knight-Like construct made out of Solid Vitality (similar to many constructs people can create) which will fight on her command and defend her to a fault. The more she trains with it, the more complex it becomes. It currently has gained wings, allowing it to fly along with two sharp swords. Whilst the construct is powerful, if exposed to harsh enough conditions or a powerful force, it may break and shatter like glass.**

"What the hell are you gonna do Jen?" Hwasa asked, what seemed like a dark red aura surrounding her eyes. Jennie rolled her eyes.

"Don't try to use your powers on me, we both know I have the mental fortitude to resist it," Hwasa grumbled as the aura disappeared. 

"Well, you see... I'm sure we both know of a certain _image_ of you," Hwasa's eyes widened as she scoffed.

"Don't tell me..."

"I, luckily, got a hold of it before it could spread to anyone. I know, I'm such a good friend," She said as Hwasa looked away as Jennie looked at her and walked a little closer, "I wonder what would happen if I were too... spread it to the rest of your school? Upload it to the internet perhaps? Surely nothing good would come of it but... you know I don't like having disloyalty," 

Hwasa remained silent as Jennie walked a few centimetres away, her Knight fading into a red mist and eventually dissipating. 

"Well? What will it be?" She asked as Hwasa sighed.

"You're a fucking bitch..." Jennie scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Fine, I'll go along with your fucking plan..." she said as Jennie smiled brightly.

"Great! Now, how about you call up Wheein? Haven't talked to her in a while, would be great to catch up. Plus, you deserve some quality food. I love treating my _friends_ ," Jennie said as Hwasa sighed. 

"Fine... but-"

"Ugh, relax! I'm not going to do anything to Wheein! I'm not heartless!" Jennie said, genuinely meaning it. _The fewer people I have to involve, the better_ she thought to herself as the two walked off. 

Jennie looked back to her phone. 

_Still... nothing?_ She asked herself as she looked at her call history. She had tried to call someone repeatedly but to no avail. She then looked to her messages. 

_**Jennie:** _ _Hey Lili! How are you?_

_**Jennie:** _ _Wow, you didn't reply to my message a few minutes ago? Must be busy._

_**Jennie:** _ _Working with that brat must be hard huh?_

_**Jennie:** _ _Hehe_

_**Jennie:** _ _You seem busy, ttyl <3_

Jennie sighed, scrolling down past the many, _many_ messages she had sent to Lisa that haven't even been read, let alone replied to. She looked to the newest messages she sent.

_**Jennie:** _ _Hey um, you're good right?_

_**Jennie:** _ _Wow, it's like we aren't even friends_

_**Jennie:** _ _whatever, I'll wait_

_**Jennie:** _ _It's not like I wanted to talk to you or anything_

Jennie felt so bothered by the fact that Lisa had been missing calls and not even reading her messages. Despite her most recent message, she really couldn't wait for a reply.

"Wow, not even a reply huh? She's so ghosting you," Hwasa said, looking over as Jennie snapped her head up.

"Mind your damn business!" Jennie said as she stormed off forward as Hwasa sighed, grumbled to herself, and walked on. 

=======

"Hey! Vivi! Seungha!" Jisoo called out as the two turned around. Class for the three third years had just finished and Jisoo had something to tell the other two. Seungha looked at Vivi, who shrugged as one of Jennie's 'friends' walked towards them. She sighed and looked up at the other two.

"Hey Jisoo, what's up?" Vivi asked as Jisoo looked at Seungha. 

"Remember when you said you'd find a way to put Jennie in her place?"

Vivi gave a surprised look towards Seungha, who sighed and nodded. "Yup,"

"Look... I'm only telling you guys this because I do wanna see you take Jennie down and because, well... I know she's planning something," She said, crossing her arms.

"Like what?" Vivi asked as Jisoo sighed. 

"That's the difficult part- I don't know what she is planning, just that it's something... big," she explained with a sigh, "Look, I know it's not much but-"

"It's enough," Seungha said, smiling. She put a hand on Jisoo's shoulder, "I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Thanks for the heads up, that'll be more useful than you think," Jisoo tried to hide the small smile on her face as she looked away.

"Y-Yeah, no problem," she walked off as Vivi smiled. Seungha looked over and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" She asked as Vivi sighed.

"Oh... nothing. Just... sorta reminds me of how you used to act... before..." Vivi trailed off as the two sighed, "...Are you really going to go up against Jennie?" Vivi asked as Seungha sighed.

"I'm planning to join the academy's student body council," she explained as Vivi nodded. "The less influence she has the better... I wanna help make changes... besides, Jennie's gone on long enough just doing what she pleases- I like to think at the very least I have a chance at doing something about it,"

Vivi smiled, "I guess you really are changing- or well, going back to how you were before you decided to shut off everyone around you," What Vivi didn't realise was that a certain student body council president was around the corner. Choerry was going to surprise Seungha and walk with her to class, but her conversation with Vivi had sparked some curiosity in her as she hid behind the corner and listened in.

Seungha looked away as Vivi sighed, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to come across like that," she apologised as Seungha sighed. 

"You were right though... I'm... sorry about what happened... all you did was try to warn me and I-" Choerry's mind was racing- what kind of past did the two have? Was this also relating to Jennie? Just how deep did this all go?

Vivi smiled, "Seungha- it's fine. You're a better person now... I just hope the same happens for Jennie..." _Were they all friends?_ Choerry's mind continued to ask these questions as Seungha sighed.

"Well," Seungha crossed her arms, "We'll find out about this plan of hers. I'll let you know if anything comes up," 

"Thanks- I'll keep an eye out too," Vivi began to walk towards the corner Choerry was behind as Choerry quickly popped out from behind it and flashed a smile.

"Hello, Vivi!" She smiled as she walked over to Seungha. 

Seungha raised an eyebrow, "Did you... hear our conversation?"

"...Maybe?" She smiled as Seungha sighed, "Look I'm sorry! Please don't be mad!"

"I'm not... in fact," Seungha closed her eyes, "Maybe it's about time I explained just how exactly I, Jennie and Vivi met and why things are the way they are," She heard Choerry gasp as she opened her eyes. 

"S-Should I call Olivia and-"

"Yeah, you show up to our dorm with Yeojin and Chaewon- I might as well tell my roommates about it,"

"Right... are you sure you're ready to tell us?" Choerry asked as Seungha sighed. 

"Better now than later," She replied, beginning to walk off with her hands in her pockets as Choerry began walking beside her.

"Right... anyways... I can't wait to introduce you to the rest of the council!" She beamed as Seungha laughed.

"Who's in it again? I know Irene and Jihyo are," 

Choerry gasped, "Jihyo? Are you two also old friends or-" Seungha shook her head.

"She used to be in the Academy's Top Ten students- but more powerful students have since arrived and I think she's moved down,"

"Huh, the more you learn," Choerry murmured to herself as the two continued to walk to class, the idea of learning about Seungha's past and what kind of a student she used to be still in Choerry's mind throughout the rest of her day. 

=======

Seungha sat down on the floor at the coffee table. Jiwoo, Sooyoung and Olivia were also sitting. Seungha had called them up all earlier, so they knew what was about to happen. Seungha's hands were balled up and shaking underneath the table. She had yet to open up to anyone, but she knew they deserved to know the truth. She needed someone to talk to, to finally let the weight of her past off of her shoulders. She sighed as they all heard the door open and turned around.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Choerry said as Chaewon stood behind her. 

"Where's Yeojin?" Olivia asked as Chaewon took a seat next to her. Seungha noted the pink tint on their faces as they sat beside each other. Choerry herself sat down beside Seungha as she sighed.

"Apparently, Vivi had something super-duper important to say as well," Choerry explained as the others nodded.

"I think she's also telling Haseul and Yeojin about some of the stuff I'm going to tell you guys," Seungha explained.

"So," Olivia began, "What exactly are you going to tell us?"

Seungha sighed, "For a while now... I haven't really spoken or made friends with anyone. It's been like that for years- you guys know already. But, that changed a while back... I made friends for the first time and it felt great... but, in the end, I ended up getting hurt," she sighed. Choerry put a hand on the girl's shoulder. Seungha smiled at Choerry briefly before continuing.

"And again, recently I've been able to befriend you all. And... I finally feel ready to open up again. I guess this is that... I wanna finally talk to some people, especially about what happened. I just..." she inhaled, "...need to get it off my chest,"

Jiwoo smiled, "We're here for you Seungha- you can tell us anything!"

Seungha smiled, "Thanks to that... means a lot,"

"...So are you going to spill the tea or-" Chaewon began as Olivia coughed, cutting the girl off. Chaewon gave Olivia a confused look, "What, I'm sorta interested as to how someone that our principal told me was super fun and emotive became so..." Chaewon trailed off before giving Seungha a nervous look.

"Cold? Icy?" Seungha asked with bemusement as Chaewon nodded guiltily, "Eh, don't worry about it. I was a bitch, I can own up to that. And to answer your question... how did you meet Namjoon?"

"Answering my question with your own question- I see," Chaewon added snarkily before continuing, "Well, at the time he was the youngest vice-principal that this Academy has ever had. My powers were beginning to become harder to control so my parents wanted a high-level telepath to help me out," 

Seungha nodded, "I guess it's a similar story to how I met him..."

===

_A young Seungha swung back and forth on the swing-set by herself as several kids_ _that were around her age_ _in the park looked at her with fearful expressions. She looked up at them, as they all ran off, terrified of the young girl. She sighed to herself, wondering if it would even be possible making any new friends. She then heard a cough and looked up to see a young man who appeared to be in his early twenties. She looked off in the distance, seeing her house and her parents in the doorway._

_"So... I'm assuming you're supposed to be my new mentor or something?" She asked, her voice void of any emotion._

_"Kim Namjoon, vice-principal of Utopia Academy. And yes, I am," He smiled as she scoffed. "What's with the attitude?" He asked with a hint of amusement as she rolled her eyes._

_"Shut your mouth..." She grumbled, frustration growing in her voice as the chains of the swing that her hands were holding beginning to frost up. "You're all the same... just trying to teach me to be scared of myself... well fun fact, I already am. So, just take a hike and leave me be like the rest,"_

_And then he did something she never expected._

_He laughed._

_"Pfft- you're the one that's terrifying teachers? Wow, I guess I am a little out of touch because of my level," He said, sitting down on the swing next to her. Seungha gave him an utterly baffled expression as he smiled._

_"H-Huh?"_

_"Seungha... what do you want?"_

_She kept quiet. "What do you mean?" She asked._

_He sighed and looked up in the sky, "I know what your parents want. It's the same thing my parents wanted- something powerful that kept to itself. Something that drove itself to loneliness because even they feared it too much. Your parents seem like decent people, but it's the same basic idea. We deserve to be feared," She looked at him and tilted her head in interest._

_"Your parents?"_

_He looked at her, "I'm a level 9.7," Seungha's eyes widened, "Impressed?"_

_"Surprised,"_

_He smiled again,_ _"I was always highly powerful- it's expected that in a few years I'll become a level 10- an absolute monarch of tiers. We're rare but not non-existent," He explained as he then looked at the ground, "My parents... they were scared of me. Wanted me to be put in check and not want to hurt anyone. They didn't see me as their son, but a powerful entity that needed to be kept away from everyone else and isolated away,"_

_Seungha remained silent. "Your parents aren't too different. They're scared you'll hurt people, so they want you to stay alone for most of your life,"_

_"...What are you saying?" She asked as he looked up back at her._

_"I know what they want Seungha, they want you to fear yourself. But... I'm not here for them. I'm here so that people who are in similar positions to me realise they don't have to fear themselves all their lives and go down the same road I did," She kept quiet as he smiled._ _"What do you want? I know what they want, but you? That's what I care about,"_

_She finally spoke up, "...I-I don't know-"_

_"That's fine," He smiled, "We can find out together,"_

_===_

Seungha smiled to herself as she finished recounting the tale. "He was like the older brother I needed at the time. Someone who encouraged the better parts of me," She smiled. "He began to help me become more like my older self. Happier, more talkative, kinder... he was the type of person I needed. Far better than all the other mentors my parents got," She smiled as Chaewon laughed a little. 

"Yep, sounds like him. He was a major help for me," Chaewon said as Olivia raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? How so?"

Chaewon rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, "O-Oh, well, I was kinda a brat and... Look- this isn't about me it's about Seungha. Seungha- continue!" Chaewon quickly said as Seungha was a little confused but continued anyway. She made a note to ask Chaewon about it later.

"Well, the old principal retired and Namjoon took his place and became the youngest principal Utopia Academy has ever had," she explained, "I knew after I finished High School, I wanted to go there. So, cut forward a few years and I'm a First Year at Utopia Academy..."

===

_A younger Seungha smiled as she walked through the gates of Utopia Academy. It had only been a few weeks since she had first joined and she was already one of the stronger students. She had made an excellent first impression, and many students that knew her greatly respected her. She had made more efforts in becoming a more open and friendly person. One of the largest changes for the girl was that she had moved out of her parents' home and into Yongsun's house- the only one of her friends that she didn't abandon and that didn't abandon her._

_She walked down the corridor and spotted a student she didn't recognise who seemed a little confused and disorientated. Seungha smiled and walked over, lightly tapping the student on the shoulder. "Hello, are you lost?"_

_"Um... yeah," they sighed, "No one is really helping me if I'm honest,"_

_Seungha smiled and asked, "Hmm, where do you need to go?"_

_"U-Um, the math class,"_

_"Right... can I see your schedule?" The student handed it over. "Ah! You're in Professor Min Yoongi's class. Just take a left, walk down the corridor, take a right and it should be there," Seungha smiled as the student smiled back. "You're new around here, aren't you?"_

_"Yep. Lisa Manoban," Lisa said, extending a hand. Seungha smiled and shook it._

_"If you see me, don't feel afraid to ask me any questions,"_

_Seungha herself had no immediate classes, so she could spend some time helping out the newer students. She found it a task that she enjoyed and felt incredibly helpful, especially since usually these newer students would get ignored. She didn't know why, but she believed it was something to do with the odd tier system. Sure, she was a 7.5, making her in the Royal Tier, but she still didn't understand why people felt like they could push others around._

_Speaking of which, as she turned the corner, she gasped at what she saw. A new student from the looks of it is what she saw as being harassed or at least bothered by some older students._

_"Aww, come on Jen, all you need to do is lend us some money,"_

_"A-and you'll pay me back?"_

_They put a hand on the girl's shoulder, and then tightened their grip, "Don't worry yourself about it, all we need is some-"_

_"B-But you guys borrowed money-" One of the older girls kicked the younger girl in the face, sending her flying feet back. The younger girl tried to get up as the older students walked closer. Seungha let out a slow sigh, her breath frosting up in front of her and becoming visible like it was a cold winter's day. She walked towards them. The older students' eyes widened as they ran towards the younger girl and picked her up. Seungha stopped._

_"Wow, Jen! You need to be more careful!"_

_"What's going on here?" Seungha asked, her voice emotionless and cold._

_"Oh, nothing! Jen here just tripped over," One of the older students rested their arm on her shoulder, "Ain't that wacky?"_

_Seungha sighed, "Really? Didn't look like it to me,"_

_One of them, one that Seungha assumed to be the 'leader' of sorts, glared at Seungha and walked over, "Look here, everything here is fine. I don't really wanna have to deal with a petty first year like you. So, just leave,"_

_Seungha, showing no signs of fear, sighed. She looked over to the younger student. "You sure you're good?" The older student turned around and glared at the younger student._

_"Y-Yep, what they're saying is all true!"_

_The older student smirked and looked back to Seungha, "See? Just mind your damn business,"_

_Seungha sighed. "Well, alright then. If you're_ _**really fine** _ _then I guess I'll leave. You seem to be doing perfectly okay," She said, turning around and walking off. The younger student rubbed their arm and looked back at Seungha, and then to the malicious faces of those who were currently surrounding her. She closed her eyes before speaking out again._

_"Wait!" She said, causing Seungha to turn around, "...Are you sure you can help?" Seungha smirked and extended a hand, opening up her palm as something bright shot out of it and hit one of the older students, encasing them in a block of ice instantly. As their friends panicked and rushed over, Seungha grabbed the other student's wrist._

_"Run," she said as the two dashed off, leaving the older students behind._

_=======_

_The two ran through the door onto the rooftop and closed the door behind them as they both gasped for air after running up several flights of stairs. The younger student has her hands on her knees as Seungha collapsed onto the floor, looking up into the sky. As they caught their breath, both of them could feel the gentle but cool breeze in the air and sighed._

_"Why did we come up here?" The student asked as Seungha smiled._

_"I know the principal on a first-name basis. They gave me free access to the school rooftops when no one else does. Not even some of the teachers,"_

_"Oh, well that's nice," They said, standing upright, "Thanks, by the way. My name is Jennie,"_

_"Seungha. Shin Seungha," She explained as Jennie nodded._

_"Ah.. you're a Shin, explains why you're so powerful," Seungha nodded and stood up._

_"Why were those Third Years picking on you?" Jennie sighed._

_"You know who I am?" Seungha shook her head a little confused. Jennie smiled._

_"Huh... well that's a first," she said, before continuing._ _"Those students... they seemed like good people at first, willing to protect me from the meaner Third Years but... in reality, they just wanted my money," Seungha was a little intrigued to hear the rest, so gestured for her to continue, "My mother is the heir of the massively successful Ruby-Jane Industries that my grandfather owns. My dad meanwhile is a well-known researcher. As a result? I've got a lot of money, and people really want it," She sighed._

_"Ah," Seungha said._

_Jennie smiled, "Thanks by the way, for helping,"_

_"Happy to help," Seungha smiled as Jennie looked back at the door._

_"Still... I'm worried. What if they come back?" She asked as Seungha smiled._

_"Well... how about we stick together?" Seungha asked as Jennie smiled._

_"Really?" She asked as Seungha nodded._

_"Yep," She said, "How about we just stay up here for the rest of the hour?" Seungha asked sitting down on the floor._

_Jennie smiled, "I'm sure Professor Taehyung won't mind," she then sat next to Seungha as the two talked, laughed and joked around with each other. Seungha wasn't entirely sure but... she realised, she may have just made her first real friend._

_=======_

_As lunch rolled around, Jennie found herself looking around the cafeteria for a place to sit down and eat. Looking around, she felt intimidated by the sheer number of people. She spotted the table where she'd usually sit at, the table with the Third Years that would once pick on her. She was now definitely avoiding them and definitely not sitting there. Unfortunately, she knew no one else and had nowhere to sit. At least, until someone tapped her shoulder._

_"Hey, Jennie," Jennie turned to see Seungha as she smiled._

_"Hey, do you wanna sit together?" She asked as Seungha rolled her eyes._

_"In here? Nah," Jennie raised an eyebrow as Seungha had an excited smile and Jennie could swear she saw stars in Seungha's eyes. "Come on!" She said, "I know this place, it's really cool!" She said as she grabbed Jennie's wrist and Jennie walked with her. The two reached a door at the back of the cafeteria which was blocked off from students via a lock._

_"Oh, I don't think-" Jennie began as Seungha clasped her hands together. Jennie could see small bits of an icy mist. As Seungha moved her hands to reveal a key made from ice. Seungha inserted it into the lock and with a twist, was able to unlock the door. The two went through as they exited into the school fields._

_Jennie looked up onto a hill and could see a large tree, along with what seemed to be an area for students to eat at with wooden tables and benches. Before she could make her way over, Seungha grabbed her wrist again. "Nope!" She said as she walked over to the large number of trees that were nearby to the school fields. As the two walked through the forest, Jennie became increasingly anxious._

_"A-Are you sure you know where we're going-"_

_"Yep! Namjoon showed me this place earlier... he said I could come here if I ever needed it," She said as she walked up to a large, thick oak tree. Jennie raised an eyebrow as Seungha smirked. "Watch this," she whispered as she walked... through the tree?!_

_As if it wasn't even there, Seungha waltzed directly into the tree, phasing right through it. Confused, Jennie walked towards the tree. Nervously, she extended a hand towards it, and felt... air? Her hand pushed right past the 'bark' of the tree._ _Confused, she closed her eyes and walked forward. She felt an odd sensation, like a wave of energy, pass through her body. Once she opened her eyes, she gasped._

_It was a clearing, a large one at that. What initially seemed like an impenetrable and dense amount of trees was in fact now a large, open clearing. Bright green grass blanketing the floor, the edges of the clearing lines with flowers of various shades of blue, orange, yellow and pink. The trees themselves seemed brighter and green along with being far more sparse. If Jennie wasn't mistaken, the clearing would be around the same size as the school's large cafeteria!_

_"Cool, right?" Seungha said, sitting on one of the few benches in the centre. They were far more pristine, bright and clean compared to the darker and more weathered tables she saw outside on the hill earlier._

_"H-How?-"_

_Seungha smirked, "The principal is a level 10, did you know that?" Her mouth slightly agape, Jennie shook her head. "Yeah, his powers are all psychic. He can literally do so much with his psychic abilities- one of them is being able to cast permanent illusions. What you see here, is hidden from all students,"_

_"Wow... a-and do only you have access here?" She asked as Seungha smiled._

_"The principal used to go to this school when he was younger," She explained, "He and his friends found a clearing in the forest and decided to fix it up, made this little place. He showed me it one time, and said if I ever needed to come here, my friends and I were always welcome," Jennie felt a warm feeling in her heart at being referred to as one of Seungha's friends. A feeling that only grew with Seungha's next statement, "You're... kinda the only person that's seen it, other than myself,"_

_Jennie walked over and sat down on the same bench as Seungha. "Thank you... I won't tell anyone about this place, it'll be our little secret," she giggled as Seungha smiled._

_"So umm... yeah, we can just eat out here,"_

_"Is it far from school?"_

_"Nah, we're actually not too deep into the forest, the illusion also makes it appear much further away than it is. Really confusing the first few times in and out," Seungha explained, now taking a bite out of one of the sandwiches Yongsun had made for her._

_Jennie smiled, taking in the pleasant scenery. "I love it..." she said, smiling brightly._

_"Y-Yeah... it is pretty cool,"_

_===_

"WAIT!" Jiwoo yelled, "There's a hidden clearing in the forest? And it looks that pretty? WHY HAVEN'T YOU TOLD US THIS?!" She demanded, picking Seungha up by her shirt and shaking the girl back and forth. Sooyoung chuckled and put a hand on Jiwoo's shoulder, who calmed immediately and looked over at the taller girl.

"Well, give her a moment to explain," Sooyoung said as eyes fell back on Seungha who had a small smile on her face as she chuckled.

"Yeah... it was kinda my secret place. If I ever wanted to be alone or anything, I would go there for some peace and quiet. I-I was actually gonna show you guys where it is after this..." Choerry beamed brightly.

"That sounds amazing!" The girl said, "Wait... do you garden?" She gasped, "Have you been looking after it all this time?" Seungha sighed, confusing the others.

"That's where it gets weird. I _haven't_ been looking after it, I think someone else is,"

"Really?" They asked as Seungha nodded. 

"I've been meaning to ask Namjoon, I'm assuming it's either him or someone who used to go to the garden," She explained, "No one else other than me and two other people knows where it is," Choerry noted how Seungha said two others knew of its existence, yet she only mentioned Jennie thus far. She decided to wait, maybe more of Seungha's story would explain who this mysterious third person was. 

"It's totally Doctor Hoseok. He's definitely the type to do that,"

"Wouldn't surprise me," Seungha said as Olivia looked over impatiently.

"So, what, are we gonna get the rest of the story?"

===

 _"So... what exactly_ is _your power?" Jennie asked as Seungha stopped drinking from the straw of the small chocolate milk carton in her hand as she smiled. "Like, I've seen you freeze people and make a key out of ice but.. what is it exactly?"_

_"I can create, shape and manipulate ice for a variety of purposes. I can encase people in ice, make some pretty useful objects and even weapons from it, and a whole lot more," She said as what seemed to be an icy mist and glowing blue energy emanated from Seungha's right palm as she spoke._

_"Wow... that sounds pretty powerful," Jennie said as Seungha nodded. Jennie began taking a sip from the water bottle she had brought._

_"I mean, I am a level 7.9-" Jennie spat out all the water in surprise._

_"W-What?!"_

_"Yep," Seungha said nonchalantly. "I'm actually the second strongest in the entire school. Isn't that so cool?"_

_Jennie nodded. "Wow... you're way more powerful than me..." She muttered as Seungha smiled._

_"So... gonna tell me your ability and level?" Seungha asked with an excited and curious expression. Jennie rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly._

_"Sure, just... It's nowhere near as cool as yours," Seungha mused at the (likely unintentional) pun as Jennie focused. A red aura manifested around the girl as Seungha was left shocked and surprised as it appeared as if something powerful was going to appear. And just like that, in a cloud of red mist, materialized what appeared to be a blood-red knight. Its body was solely made up of its armour, around its joints was the same red mist and it only held a single sword and a shield._

_"Woah... that was so cool!" Seungha said as Jennie's eyes widened._

_"Wait... really?!"_

_"Yeah! You have an ability that freakin' summons a badass red knight to do your fighting! How is that not cool?" Seungha asked as Jennie sighed._

_"For starters- it's like glass. It breaks super easily under pressure," She explained, "Plus I'm not the best at using it. I'm only a level 5.3..."_

_Seungha tilted her head in confusion, "_ _**Only** _ _a level 5.3?! Jen, you're a High Tier!"_

_"Y-Yeah but... only because of my stats, in reality, I'm pretty low on the ranks as far as most High Tiers go..."_

_"Oh..." Seungha said as Jennie's Knight dematerialized._

_"It's why I get picked on so much... I just wish I was stronger..." She muttered, looking down onto her lap as Seungha thought for a moment before speaking up._

_"Hey, Jen?" Seungha asked as Jennie looked up. "Do your parents have the same ability? And if so, their levels?"_

_"My mom has the same ability. She's in the Monarch Tier... why?" She asked as a light bulb seemed to turn on inside of Seungha's mind. Seungha walked over to Jennie's side of the table and put two hands on the girl's shoulders. "H-Huh-"_

_"Jennie Kim- I see vast potential in you. And I do believe that you, Jennie Kim, are incredibly powerful," Seungha said in an oddly regal and mystical voice, "You just don't know it," She smiled, dropping the odd tone of voice for a more casual one. "I think you can be as strong as your mom, if not stronger! You just need some training,"_

_"W-Well, my parents haven't exactly given me the most training in my powers-"_

_"Exactly! How about this- we start to train, to make you stronger, and we can prove to everyone that Jennie Kim is someone not to mess with, hm?" She asked as Jennie thought for a moment. An opportunity... to become stronger? To be what everyone said she could never be? To become... powerful? She would be a fool to reject this offer._

_She smiled, "Yeah! Let's do it!"_

_"Great! I'm telling you, Jen, in only a few weeks you'll be soaring up the rankings in no time!"_

_"H-Hey wait, I have an idea!" Jennie said, "Give me your phone," Seungha raised an eyebrow at this request, but handed it over regardless. Jennie began to tap around and type in some numbers before handing it back._

_"Here, I've inputted my number- so we can schedule some training sessions,"_

_Seungha smirked, "Look at you being all clever and organised. Sure, let's," For the rest of their lunch, Seungha and Jennie began to plan out a series of training matches to increase Jennie's level and help her reach her true potential that the girl was unaware of._

_=======_

_"Hey, Seungha! How was school?" Yongsun asked as Seungha walked in. Yongsun saw the smile on the other girl's face. She loved seeing her friend happy, especially given how she'd been taught to hide her emotions. Seeing her this happy, however, was definitely a rare but very welcome sight. Seungha looked down at her phone and back up at Yongsun and smiled._

_"Let's just say, you aren't my only friend anymore," Seungha said with a smirk._

_Yongsun fake-gasped, "What?! I'm being replaced?!" The two shared a laugh. Yongsun looked over at her friend and smiled- it had been years since she last saw Seungha this happy and it was a more than welcome sight. She smiled, "Okay, but seriously, I'm so happy for you! It's about time you made some new friends,"_

_Seungha smiled, "Yeah... she's pretty cool," She said, thinking back to the day she'd just had with Jennie, how nice the girl was and how quickly they befriended each other._

_So, Yongsun said, pulling up a chair and sitting at the table, "You gonna tell me about them or?..." Seungha smiled and walked over, sitting opposite her friend since childhood._

_As Jennie walked through the black gates of her parents' manor, past the large fountain in the centre and through the sturdy and large oak doors and into the marble corridor, both of them threw themselves and hugged Jennie. "Oh, look! My angel has returned!" Her mother said as her father smiled._

_"So glad to have you back! So, how was school?" He asked as he and her mother let go of their daughter. Jennie's face was slightly red from embarrassment but looked up at them and smiled. She walked over and sat down on the comfortable leather sofa._

_"Well, first off I've stopped talking to those third years-"_

_"What?! You've lost friends?!" Her father cried as Jennie shook her head. She had been keeping the fact they were bullying her hidden from her parents, not wanting to worry or concern them._

_"Nah, I just sorta realised they were actually pretty scummy people," She explained, remembering how they tried to get money from her once again._

_"Oh- well good riddance then!" He said smiling._

_"Seriously, I knew they were trouble," Jennie's mother stated crossing her arms and muttering something about irresponsibility._

_"...and, I have a new friend, a way nicer one," She smiled, "They actually helped me out earlier. A-and we hang out together at lunch and she said she wants to help me become stronger- and she's just so nice and kind and-" As Jennie unknowingly rambled about her new friend, her parents couldn't help but smile warmly at their daughter. Truth be told, they hoped she'd find and surround herself with good people. And given how much more passionate and excited she was talking about them, they could tell this friend was a good one._

_=======_

_A few weeks later and needless to say, the two friends had become even closer. They made it a regular routine to eat at Seungha's hidden location and after eating, to head to the Training Arena so that they could improve. And improve, they did. Jennie had rocketed up the rankings with Seungha's help, her level had even increased to a more respectable level 6, putting her past the current Number 10 student, a student named Jungeun._

_Jennie was more than thankful to Seungha for the whole incident, so much so she surprised the girl. As they finished up their training session, Jennie walked over with a small black box. Curiously, Seungha opened it._

_"Hmm... what's this?" Seungha asked, looking at what she saw as an amazing silver bracelet, made up of small metallic snowflakes, each having a slightly different design but all having a blue jewel at the centre._

_Jennie played with her own hair a little before shyly explaining, "W-Well, I-I wanted to show you how much I a-appreciated you helping me..." Seungha smiled brightly before putting it on, "M-My parents suggested some sort of friendship bracelet..."_

_Seungha chuckled, "I don't think they're usually this expensive,"_

_Jennie quietly murmured. "W-Well I think you deserve to have an expensive g-gift..." she said. It was funny to Jennie, she had become far more confident and outspoken, yet still froze up and turned into a shy, cute, stuttering mess around Seungha- especially when the other girl made her appreciations vocal._

_"I love it, thanks," Seungha said as Jennie felt her face heat up._

_"Y-Yeah... I'm glad you love it," she said softly. "O-Oh! I know you'll love this!" She said excitedly as her voice became much stronger and less shaky. She concentrated, as her Knight materialised beside her. However, what was once a misty, cloudy knight that would break like glass, was a much different creation. It was far more solid and in general, seemed smoother and tougher, the red mists surrounding its body mostly dissipated, clearly hinting at it becoming more durable._

_There was now a pair of glowing red eyes from the visor, and Seungha noted how the sword had become longer and much sharper, as well as it's shield now gone and replaced with a sword. "It looks better, right?"_

_Seungha smiled, "Looks like training's finally paying off, your knight looks way more intimidating,"_

_"Yup! Plus it doesn't break so easily anymore," Jennie smiled._

_"Well, that's great," she said. Seungha paused for a moment and crossed her arms in thought as Jennie looked over with a tilted head._

_"Hmm?" She asked as Seungha looked up._

_"You should name it," She said abruptly as Jennie was caught off guard, almost de-summoning her knight in the process. "Give it a name, I don't know. Feels like it'd just make it easier to refer to,"_

_Jennie rolled her eyes with a smile, "Sure, any suggestions," she asked as Seungha thought for a moment._

_"Hmm... what about... Ruby? Rose? King Crimson?" Jennie smiled._

_"Eh, keep thinking of suggestions," she said. They soon heard the sound of other students enter the arena through the entrance that was behind Jennie.._

_"Hey, I have an idea," Jennie felt her blood run cold as she heard the sound of a very familiar voice. Seungha began glaring at the person, confirming to Jennie she knew who was behind her. "How about-"_

_"-How about you shut the fuck up?" Seungha said to the third years. Yes, those same third years who weeks ago had been harassing Jennie and frozen by Seungha. The one currently talking was the one who Seungha had frozen. They rolled their eyes._

_"Geez, I even came up with a really good pun! God, you're annoying," they grumbled as Seungha walked forward, standing beside Jennie._

_"Look, what do you pricks want?" She asked as their 'leader' stepped forward._

_"Hi, what's your name again?" He asked as Seungha rolled her eyes again._

_"Don't play dumb," He chuckled._

_"Right right, you're Shin Seungha... the same girl that turned our Jennie over there into one of the Top Ten... she went from beneath us to above us, you know," he explained, "The name is Alistar Edwards- call me Ali, I'm actually a transfer student from-"_

_"I don't care," She said as 'Ali' rolled his eyes. "You didn't answer my question," she said as he sighed._

_"Look, we fucking know that bitch," he pointed at Jennie, "Does not_ _**deserve** _ _to be where she is. So, we're gonna teach you first years a lesson," he said, "We're going to fight in this very arena two weeks from now. And we're gonna kick your ass. I'm sick of you first years thinking you're hot shit, the only reason you're in the Top Ten is that we've never been bothered enough to try and enter it,"_

_Seungha laughed, "Beat us? Okay, whatever helps you sleep at night," she looked on with a humoured and smug expression, "Fine. I accept your hilarious excuse of a challenge. Hope you guys don't chicken out," she said, walking past them with Jennie following suit. After they'd left the arena, Jennie gave Seungha a panicked look._

_"What?" She asked as Jennie grabbed Seungha's shoulders._

_"Are you crazy?! We can't beat them-"_

_"Why?" Seungha asked as Jennie looked exasperatedly at the other girl._

_"Because we're only first years-"_

_"Is that what they told you?" Seungha asked as Jennie gave the girl a confused look._

_"Huh?" Seungha sighed before continuing._

_"Is that what they told you whilst they were bullying you? Jennie, we're both proof that just because you're older doesn't mean you're stronger. I was surprised with you honestly, you soared up quickly. I knew you were strong, but not that strong. So, it had me thinking," she explained as Jennie nodded, "And you just confirmed my suspicions. The only reason you ever tried levelling up was that they made you scared. They made you fear the idea of progress and that age played a larger role than it actually did,"_

_"What... what are you saying-"_

_"You're stronger than them. You always have been, you've just always been too scared to test that idea. And I hate that... not you, I hate fear. Fear is..." Seungha thought back to how her parents had made her fear her own powers, and how with Namjoon's help, she unlearned that fear. "...just, the worst. So, don't give into it. This is your chance to prove that, you are powerful, I know you are," Seungha reassured, removing Jennie's hands off of her shoulders and moving her own hands onto Jennie's shoulders._

_Jennie tried to look away from Seungha's smiling face, "Thank you..." she murmured._

_"If it helps... wanna train later today?" Seungha seemed to have an idea, as her face and eyes brightened up immediately. "Wanna have a sleepover?!" Jennie's eyes widened at the idea. She felt a rush of happiness, she'd never brought any of her friends over for such events before._

_"Y-Yeah!"_

_Seungha smiled brightly, "Wow! This is gonna be awesome!"_

_=======_

_As Seungha was packing her things for the sleepover she was about to have with Jennie. She didn't pack much, just a spare set of clothes, a spare phone charger, her laptop in case she needed it and a few other essentials. She kept them all in a backpack she borrowed off of Yongsun. She smiled, this would be the first real-time she's stayed over at a friend's house. Just as she was about to leave, she heard her phone ringing. Thinking it was Jennie, she quickly picked it up, ready to answer, until she saw the caller ID._

_Mother is calling..._

_She sighed quietly but answered it. "Hello,"_

_"Seungha," her mother said, "How are things in your new school? I realised I hadn't called in to check yet,"_ It's been weeks... _Seungha thought before replying._

_"Good... things are good," She replied, trying to keep things brief and concise. It wasn't that she hated her parents, but she'd rather not talk to them longer than she had to._

_"Lessons are going well?" She asked, her voice void of any warm emotion. The way Seungha had heard her mother speak since Seungha was a child. Cold, apathetic and emotionless._

_"Yes. I have top marks in all my classes," She replied briefly again, also trying to show little emotion through her voice._

_"That's good," Seungha's own mother kept up the cold tone before asking the next question,_ _"...any new friends?" Seungha froze for a moment._

_"...so what if I have any?" Seungha heard a drawn-out sigh from the other end, causing Seungha to roll her eyes in annoyance._

_"Seungha- we've been over this. You can't make friends with anyone-"_

_"-Why not?" Seungha said, cutting in. These past few weeks with Jennie had really shown Seungha what having a close friend felt like and how stupid her parents' logic really was. She felt more frustrated, more willing to challenge her parents' logic._

_"_ _**Because...** _ _" Seungha could hear the annoyance dripping from her mother's voice, "You're a danger to people. Do you remember the incident years ago? Remember how your friend was hospitalised?" Seungha fell silent, "Exactly. If you still regret it, why keep tempting fate? Face it, you have no control over your powers-"_

_"It's been years," Seungha cut in again, "I can control them now-"_

_"_ _**You said** _ _you could control them years ago. Yet, it still happened. You are a danger, Seungha. I'm simply warning you of the inevitable danger you cause-"_

_"-Wow, if I knew all you'd be doing is calling me a threat and danger and acting like I'm not even your own fucking daughter maybe I wouldn't have answe-"_

_"_ _**Don't you dare** _ _speak to me with that kind of tone," Her mother demanded, barely raising her voice, but her words still stung harshly as Seungha stayed silent. "...All I wanted to do was ask how you were doing, but of course, you have to make a big fuss out of nothing. Your allowance will be cut down for the next few weeks. Never speak back to me with that sort of tone," and like that, the call ended._

_Seungha let out a breath, noticing her breath being visible. She let out a sarcastic laugh, her powers were manifesting during that call. Of course, they did. She may not have hated her parents, but they could definitely bring out a more frustrated side of her. Especially her mother. She walked out of her room and down the stairs, moving towards the door and ready to leave._

_"Have a fun stay, Seungha!" Yongsun said. Seungha gave her a nod and left wordlessly, a cold and bothered expression on her face. Yongsun had noticed it and sighed, already having an inkling as to what may have happened._

_=======_

_"Seungha's!" Jennie said happily as the doors to her manor opened. Seungha smiled and hugged her friend before being welcomed in. Needless to say, Seungha was astounded just by how large the manor seemed on the inside. She felt minuscule and tiny compared to the lengths and sizes of the corridors and rooms of the mansion. Sure, she had once lived with her parents and siblings in a similar home, but it had been a good while since that had happened. The sky was already slowly turning an orange hue as the golden lights inside began to illuminate the building._

_"Wow... sure is big," Seungha murmured._

_"A lot of people tend to say it when they first arrive," she heard a masculine voice say. She turned and met eyes with two people. A large, jovial man who was built as if he could uproot a tree from the earth. Despite his stature, Seungha took note of the glasses on the man's face and generally how his features seemed gentle and kind yet also aged and experienced. A woman stood beside him and to Seungha, she could clearly see a resemblance between her and Jennie, with the woman appearing older but also taller._

_"Seungha, these are my parents!" Jennie introduced as her father extended out his hand._

_"Pleasure to meet you, our daughter has told us so much about you," he said as Seungha took his hand and shook it. She noted that he had a strong grip, it was a miracle he somehow didn't break any bones in her hand._

_"Well, it's nice to meet you both too, thank you for allowing me to stay over," she said politely as the mother chuckled._

_"Please, you don't have to be so formal. Any friend of Jennie's is welcome," they said. Seungha felt Jennie grab her hand._

_"Come on! My room is super cool!" Jennie said, but before she could drag her friend to the room, her mother put a hand on Jennie's shoulder._

_"Sweetie, how about you head upstairs and we'll speak with Seungha for a moment. Once we're done, we'll send her up," Jennie nodded and ran up the large spiral staircase. Once she was gone, her parents turned to look at Seungha. "Please, follow us," they said as Seungha walked into the living room with them._

_**(A/N: I've given both of the parents names that I've made up since I have no idea what they are actually called)** _

_Seungha watched as the butler poured her a cup of coffee. Whilst she knew of several rich families that enlisted the aid of butlers and maids, her family was one that didn't. She never knew why, but regardless, the experience of having a butler was a foreign one. He stood up and left, leaving the parents with their hot cups of tea and Seungha with the coffee._

_"Um..." Seungha said before they spoke._

_"Jennie had told us about how you liked your coffee, so it'll be to your liking," they said as Seungha picked up the cup and took a slow sip before putting it back down. They weren't lying._

_"How much has Jennie told you about me?" Seungha asked curiously, trying not to sound too suspicious. Jennie's mother chuckled._

_"The most personal thing we know about you is that you hate horror films for a reason we don't know. Nothing too personal, if that's what you're worried about, or anything you haven't told Jennie," she explained as Seungha nodded. Seungha did actually explain her reasoning to Jennie, so knowing her parents didn't know gave her a sense of relief in knowing Jennie could very well hold secrets._

_"So... any particular reason you wanted to speak?" Seungha asked. The father chuckled._

_"Straight to the point- I like it," He smiled, "Well... we just wanted to speak for a brief moment with the girl who had helped make our daughter stronger and protected her and has even made her more confident in herself. Jennie... has never been so happy, she's rarely had friends before, I guess that's why she's been so excited about tonight..." He took off his glasses and looked down into his lap. He pulled out a cloth and began cleaning them._

_Jennie's mother took a sharp inhale before continuing, "Seungha... I wanted to ask... why did you help her that day?" She asked, looking up at her. Seungha looked down into the cup she was holding and let out a sigh._

_"If I'm honest... I don't really know..." she said quietly, "I saw someone being unjustly hurt and just... stepped in. It was odd..."_

_"I don't think an act of goodwill is odd, why do you think it is?" Jennie's mother asked, now somewhat interested in hearing what Seungha had to explain._

_"It isn't odd... it's just odd for me... I'm not that different from Jennie if I'm honest. I've never had any friends... well, that's because I was told to make none..." she muttered the last part quietly, but both of the parents picked up on it. They shared concerned looks, before looking back to the speaking girl. "...but I guess I wanted a change... and I saw that in Jennie. Maybe at that moment, we... connected?" Seungha said, not entirely sure herself. "I guess in a weird way, I unknowingly knew she was similar to me. Someone who just wanted a friend..."_

_Seungha shook her head, looked up and smiled, "In case you're worried, I do genuinely appreciate Jennie as a friend, your question just caught me a little off guard. I'm sorry if that's not the answer you wanted-" Before she could finish her statement, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Jennie's father, putting a hand on her shoulder, wearing his glasses and smiling. He looked back to his wife, who smiled and walked over._

_"We're more than happy Jennie has made such a friend," she said._

_Jennie's father chuckled, "So you wanna explain yourself, dear?" He asked as she smiled._

_"Apologies for the deception, but we were actually using this opportunity to see if Jennie had made a good friend. And I'm glad she has," Seungha still had a perplexed look._

_"Is... this to do with your ability? But I thought you could only summon-"_

_"Turns out you're not the only one Jennie has been sharing information about," her mother said in an amused tone before continuing. "I'm a Binate," she explained, "My first power is the same as Jennie's, however, my second allows me to... 'smell' a person's intentions,"_

_"...How so?" Seungha asked._

_"It's hard to explain... I suppose everyone has a distinct scent to their very being, and that can give all sorts of clues. You had a refreshing, somewhat minty and very... clean scent. Very pristine and clean, yet also oddly manufactured. Whilst that later part may be a little revealing and partially concerning- the cleanliness, purity and freshness of your soul suggests you're a pure-spirited and honest person," she smiled._

_**Jane Kim - Intention Reading** _

_**By being able to detect a scent unique to one's vitality and that no other person can pick up, she can 'read' into this person, as she's learnt many different meanings behind these scents.** _

_"Huh... if you don't mind me saying, that's a very odd ability-"_

_"-As I said, honest,"_

_"...but also very interesting," she smiled. Jennie's mother put a hand on Seungha's shoulder._

_"Why don't you go up and speak with Jennie?" She smiled as Seungha turned around and made her way up the stairs as the butler then guided her to Jennie's room. Jennie's mother's smile then faded, however, as the father put a hand on his wife's shoulder._

_"So... what is it?"_

_"I can smell it..." she muttered, "She's a good soul, but has been through a lot... loneliness, sadness, loss... the type that is usually guarded and cold..."_

_"Well, let's hope that Jennie is the one who's able to keep this young girl happy, hm?" He smiled. Jennie's mother smiled back warmly._

_"Yes... I hope..." Jennie's mother may have only known Seungha for a few minutes, but just from her scent and the way she acted, she felt an odd endearment to the girl. She really did hope the two stayed friends because knowing her daughter's scent, trouble could stir if things were to ever go sour between them._

_=======_

_"Here is Miss Kim's room, Miss Shin," The butler said as he walked off, leaving Seungha in front of a very large door, marked with several stickers and a sign saying 'Only queens beyond this point' which Seungha found amusing (and fairly accurate). She knocked on the door, hearing a muffled 'It's open' from the other side. Turning the knob of the door, allowed Seungha to see the interior of the room._

_Seungha was greatly taken aback. This was Jennie's room?! She knew the girl was wealthy but... not even she'd seen a room so luxurious. The room itself was incredibly spacious with a high ceiling and wide walls. On the east side of the room, she could see the incredibly large bed, which could easily fit up to 3 people at once, yet it was all for Jennie. On the right of the bed and on the wall furthest from Seungha at the doorway was a bookshelf filled with books and a large table with a variety of supplies on it._

_To the left of the bed was what Seungha could see as a makeup table next to a large closet which Seungha could only assume was filled with designer and many other expensive clothes. She could see a large sofa that was opposite a large flatscreen TV in the corner adjacent to the bookshelves and table. In the final corner was a desk with three large computer monitors, a bookshelf full of movies and DVDs and a swivel chair at the desk and a large pink beanbag chair._

_The main attraction, however, was the fact there was a perfectly circular pool in the middle of the room. Of course, it wasn't too large, but the fact it was still there was surprising. Jennie herself sat on the side, her feet dipped into the water as she smiled at Seungha._

_"What do you think?" she asked as Seungha's eyes were on the pool. "I know some people think the pool is a bit much, but-"_

_"Do you have a covering for that or something because... that just sorta looks impractical," Jennie rolled her eyes with a smile._

_"Always the practical one," she smiled, moving her feet out of the pool and standing up. She picked up a remote and pressed a button. Seungha watched as a white panel moved across, covering the pool up and leaving only a white circle in the centre of the room. "Pretty cool, huh?" Seungha smiled and nodded._

_"Yeah... damn, I knew you were rich but... wow," Seungha said as Jennie giggled._

_"There's something I wanted to show you," She grabbed Seungha's wrist and brought her out to the balcony. "Come on!"_

_"There's more?!" Seungha was brought out onto a balcony area, with a small round table and chairs around it as well as two chairs beside a pale white telescope. Jennie sat on one of the seats, Seungha sitting next to her._

_"Huh... so you stargaze?" Seungha asked as Jennie shook her head._

_"I mean... not really. I just like looking at the stars. I don't know their names or what they mean, I just think they're pretty," She explained as Seungha nodded. Jennie looked through the small lens and smiled brightly. "They're really bright tonight!" She awed cutely as Seungha smiled._

_"Why don't you have a look?" Jennie asked as she moved out of the way. Seungha shrugged and decided to give it a try, and was immediately dazzled by the white bright dots in the sky and the way what seemed like a murky shadow was illuminated by these shining stars. Jennie smiled at seeing a look she didn't often see on Seungha- one of pure awe and excitement. Seeing it reminded her of how safe Seungha made her feel... she was always there to make sure Jennie had someone to talk to over her own self-doubts... why couldn't she do the same for Seungha?_

_"Hey... I wanted to ask... you mentioned an incident years ago... the reason your parents don't want you to use your powers... what happened?" Jennie asked as Seungha froze. "I know I may be asking too much, a-and you don't have to tell me if you don't want to... it's just... I'm here if you ever want to talk about it,"_

_After a long pause, Seungha spoke. "I... was playing with a friend. I thought I had control over my powers but... I didn't. We were getting picked on and... my powers... sorta exploded," she fell quiet, "Yongsun has always been a friend of mine... maybe even a big sister to me sometimes... and she was the one that got hit. She was hospitalised for days, and I was the one that got blamed. The consequences weren't too bad, Yongsun's parents understood it was an accident but... my parents weren't so easy to let it slide..."_

_"Is that... why you aren't on the best of terms with them?"_

_Seungha scoffed, "They tried to make me fear myself, I grew to hate that. It was only natural a conflict would happen,"_

_"...Do you ever wish it didn't?" Seungha sat upright before looking down in thought as she laid back in her chair, slumping slightly._

_"...my grandparents were the ones who let me be free and use my powers... they were inspirations... my heroes... but after they died in an accident, things became different at home..." Seungha explained, "Mom began to become harsher on me and my dad didn't do much to help at all," Seungha sighed, "I wonder if they were still alive... would things be different?"_

_Jennie fell silent upon seeing Seungha- the incredibly supportive and kind friend- being so sombre and quiet. Jennie put a hand on Seungha's shoulder and smiled. "Hey... don't worry so much. I know things are rough, and I know how bad you must feel but... I know they'd be proud of who you are, they sound like great people based on the way you spoke about them... I know no matter what, they'd be proud to have you as their granddaughter," Jennie said as Seungha looked away and smiled._

_"You're amazing. You're the kindest person I know, you don't think twice about standing up for those you care about. You're powerful, you're cool-headed, you're brave, you're... one of the best people I know," Jennie said, "Seungha... you're my best friend. I say you don't have to worry so much about 'If's and doubts because you are being the best you can be. And I think that's enough,"_

_"Thanks..." Jennie swore she saw a stray tear fall from Seungha's face, "That means a lot..." Jennie smiled, looking back out into the night sky. There was a long and comfortable silence, creating a calm air that kept the two relaxed and safe. Seungha let out a content sigh before speaking, "Y'know Jen... you don't give yourself a lot of credit," Seungha smiled as Jennie looked over, seeing an earnest and_

_"What do you mean?" Jennie asked as Seungha smiled._

_"You're a lot stronger than you think. Seeing you grow so much has made me realise just how much potential everyone has. It showed me how much of a strong and determined spirit you had. And I think... that's one of the best traits a person can have. A strong and indomitable will... an ironclad determination," Seungha explained, "It's why I accepted the challenge. We won't lose, in fact, you'll prove how powerful you really are, and how your greatest asset isn't your ability or wealth, but your determination,"_

_Jennie smiled. "You'll be powerful in the future, Jen. Don't let yourself become wasted potential, turn yourself into a queen that rules over everyone,"_

_Seungha didn't know what spurred her on to talk to Jennie the way she did, but she didn't regret it whatsoever. Under the night sky, Jennie helped Seungha realise she had a friend, and Seungha did the same for Jennie. People who were once alone for a large time of their lives were now beside each other, an inseparable pair._

_=======_

_"AHHHH WE WON!" Jennie celebrated as Seungha nodded. She looked over to the battered up team of third years as the surrounding spectators let out cheers. Jennie felt... amazed. Hearing people cheer her name, being so enamoured with her will to fight and her power... it filled her with fiery energy. Seungha meanwhile watched as her best friend smiled. It was about time Jennie received the recognition she deserved._

_What neither of the two realised, were the people watching at the top of the stands._

_"Wow...she's made it up the ranks, huh Viian?" A girl asked her friend, who had an unreadable expression on her face._

_"Yes... she has, Elkie,"_

_"Well," Elkie began, "I wouldn't worry, you aren't the number one for no reason!" Elkie grinned. Viian merely sighed._

_Even if she was, someone moving so quickly up the ranks... and an abnormally powerful student by their side... Viian was intrigued, to say the least._

_**=======** _

Choerry smiled, "Sounds like you two were pretty good friends," she said as Seungha had taken a break from recounting her past with Jennie. Jiwoo had baked cupcakes for everyone, so they were eating those. So far, the girl could gather that the two had been close and both really appreciated each other- a very different situation than the present, with the icily cold tone the two gave each other any time they met. But, she did have one question.

"Hey, Seungha," she asked as the older girl looked at her.

"Yeah?" She asked with her mouth full of cupcake. Choerry found it both funny and cute, but decided not to comment on it and instead just asked her question.

"Umm... how did you and Vivi meet?" Seungha's eyes widened as she quickly swallowed the food in her mouth. "It just seems like you two have some sort of shared past with Jennie so-"

"Yeah... Vivi was pretty much the next friend I made," she explained, "You see... things were pretty different back then. For one, Vivi wasn't called Vivi. People called her Viian..."

===

_"Viian, you coming?" Elkie asked as Tzuyu and her looked over to their brunette friend. Viian looked up from a book she was reading and sighed. The class was loud as First-Years and a few Second-Years were chatting amongst themselves as the teacher was too occupied with their own book and headphones, blocking out the noisy class._

_"Come on, we should totally go see it this weekend," Tzuyu said as Elkie rolled her eyes._

_"Depends. If you're all going to go see it, I might as well join," Viian explained. Tzuyu looked over at a person nearing their table and smiled._

_"Handong, over here," she waved as Handong approached their table._

_"You guys gonna go see that new film?" She asked as Tzuyu grinned, "I'm totally hyped,"_

_"Well, looks like our weekend is sorted. Isn't that great Elkie?" Tzuyu asked, elbowing Elkie as she groaned._

_"You are the worst," She muttered as Tzuyu rolled her eyes with a smile._

_"You love it though," she teased as Elkie's face reddened._

_"Sh-Shut up!" Elkie said as the group laughed to their friend's embarrassment. Viian found herself smiling brightly at her friend's antics. She loved being around them, she felt like she was away from the rest of the world's problems and only in the comfort and smiles of her closest friends she'd known since she was a child. But, there was always something trying to pry her away from them._

_Viian felt a buzz from her pocket. Realising it was her phone, she took it out, revealing a light pink phone case and answered the call._

_"Hello?" She said._

**_"Viian,"_ ** _The voice said. Viian immediately felt her body shiver, and a deep resentment boiled up within her. She let out a sigh and swiftly got up and walked out. The others noticed their friend's behaviour and quickly realised who must've called Viian._

_"Mother," She replied, her voice cold, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"_

**_"Are you aware there is a new student at Second Place? Right below your place as the Number One student,"_ **

_She was. Viian had been somewhat intrigued by the Number Two's progress as well as how the current Number Ten had managed to climb up the ranks rather swiftly with their guidance._

_"Yes, but I don't see why-"_

_"_ **_Put her down,"_ ** _Her mother said, her voice laced with ice and void of emotion._

_"What?" Viian asked, an annoyed tone clearly present within her voice._

**_"You need to challenge her or find a way to make sure she does not take your place as Number One,"_ ** _Her mother replied,_ **_"And do not use that tone with me,"_ ** _She replied, Viian detesting the fact that a slight rise in volume was enough to cause her mother to comment on it with a voice dripping with malice._

_Viian let out a huff, "I doubt she'd be able to beat me,"_

**_"Didn't that same carelessness cost the previous Number One their place? Is it not what allowed you to beat them?"_ ** _Viian kept quiet as her mother continued._ **_"My daughter will not become second-rate. You will make sure your top position will be kept. Am I understood?"_ **

_"...Yes mother," she said, biting her lip in frustration._

**_"Good. Your exam results have been as expected, so I have nothing else to say. Goodbye, and remember,"_ ** _her mother said,_ **_"You must be perfect,"_ **

_Viian heard the sound of the other end leaving the call as Viian put her phone away. She let out an annoyed huff._ _Before she could do anything else, she felt a hand on her shoulder._

_"Kahei... don't worry too much about it-" but before Tzuyu could finish, Viian let out a sigh and spoke up._

_"I know you mean well Tzuyu but... I might as well,"_

_"What was it even about?" Tzuyu asked as Elkie and Handong walked over to the doorway of the classroom._

_"My mother is concerned about the new Number Two," she explained as the three nodded._

_"Shin Seungha?" Handong asked as Viian nodded._

_"Yep, that's them," she sighed. "I can't deny, I have been somewhat interested. Ever since I joined the school, no one has since given me as much of a challenge as the last number one has,"_

_"Looking for a good fight, eh?" Tzuyu asked grinning._

_"Less of that... I'm actually concerned they might beat me," she whispered that last part, afraid any students may overhear._

_"Damn... you're scared for once?" Elkie asked as Tzuyu sighed. Before anyone else could get a word in, they all watched a male student walk over. He smiled, but they could sense how fake the act was._

_"Viian! Well, were you just talking about the new Number Two?" He asked. All three of the other girls sent death glares his way. He tried not to pay attention that those three were about a few moments away from trying to beat him senseless and instead talk to Viian._

_"So what if I was?"_

_"Well," he smirked, "I hope you know us Higher Tiers are expecting you to show them how things really work around here,"_

_"What do you mean?" She questioned, somewhat confused as he sighed._

_"They're pretty well-known for being kinder to the lower tiers. Of course, this is ridiculous, as you'll agree. The strong are always at the top, and the weak at the bottom, and we never cross paths... unless the weak need to be pushed back a little, right?" He asked. Viian felt hesitant to reply, so she avoided the question._

_"This person is messing with the order of things, and you want me to put them back in line?" She asked as he smiled._

_"Precisely! And do know..." his voice lowered, "We all expect good things of you, we hope you won't let us down," he said, his eyes glowing a faint green._

_Viian scoffed. "Fine, I was planning to look into it anyway,"_

_"That's our Number One!" He smirked. "And also-"_

_"-No, I'm not going to hang out with you or your friends. If you try and get me to abandon my friends for 'stronger beings' such as yourself, I'll have them show you how powerful they really are," she said, turning around and walking out of the class, as the alarm sounded for new classes to begin. Her friends followed her._

_=======_

_Viian Wong._ _Who was she?_

_She was the number one of Utopia Academy. Despite only being a first-year, she had soared up the ranks immediately with a cold presence about her that made even fourth-years frightened of her. She held a close circle of friends, people she had only known before Utopia Academy. Everyone else was regarded as beneath her in her own eyes. Just trying to talk to her would lead to scorn and mockery._

_She stood out amongst the circle of High-Tiers she regarded as friends. They were moderately kind, pretty well-liked and all came from upper-class families. And Viian? She was cold, calculating and harsh- yet she carried this aura of perfection. As she walked down the halls of Utopia, other students looked at her with scornful expressions, yet also fearful ones, terrified of what she could do._

_Viian had made her current life about making herself as perfect as she could be. Her grades were high, her rank was at the top, her lifestyle was wealthy and lavish. She had always made sure she was above everyone. She even specifically kept order within the student rankings. The strong should be at the top, the weak at the bottom. Yet recently, a huge amount of buzz had been created._

_Shin Seungha and Jennie Kim, two who had recently been climbing up the ranks at an insane rate. Seungha had already become the second strongest student, immediately alarming Viian. And now Jennie Kim- a first-year who was down in the lower ranks but now near the top? She couldn't have such a disorder created. Eyes were on her. She could see people staring as she walked down the corridor with her friends Elkie, Tzuyu and Handong. She could hear their voices._

_"Is that Viian?"_

_"Why does she look so pissed?"_

_"Well, it's obviously because of those two students who've been kicking ass recently?"_

_"Pfft, why does she give so much of a shit about them?"_

_Viian could overhear the arrogant laugh of a High Tier. "You idiots, it's Viian's job to maintain order within the system of the ranks. She's supposed to be our leader and therefore it's her duty to keep order," she could barely hear his quiet mumbles, but she could make out what he was saying._

_"Besides... she's already made herself look like a fool by associating with those who aren't even in the top ten... she might as well be assed about this otherwise she's a terrible candidate for the Number One spot..." Vivi looked over and noticed an annoyed look on her friend's faces. She scoffed and turned around looking at the voice of the arrogant student. The moment Viian's eyes were on him, all students surrounding him moved out of the way. He looked around before seeing Viian walk toward him with an angered expression._

_"Wanna say that to my face?" She asked as he began to shake with fear. He immediately knelt onto the ground and began bowing at Viian's feet_

_"I'm sorry, I swear! Please, I-" Before he could get another word in, in a blur of light pink, the was sent flying into the wall behind him._

_"Does anyone else have anything else to say or are you all gonna keep being cowards?" Viian asked as silence fell upon the students. Tzuyu rolled her eyes._

_"Don't be shy," she said as the silence continued. Viian scoffed._

_"Let's leave," she said as she walked off, her three friends tailing behind her._

_=======_

_"I'm telling you! It's so good! We need to see it later this week!" Jennie was busy trying to convince Seungha to come to the cinema with her to watch a new horror film that had just been released._

_"Nope, sorry Jen. Guess you're watching it by yourself," Seungha wasn't having any of it as the two walked away from their secret dining area. As they made their way out onto the field and continued walking, Seungha spotted a brown-haired student she could recognise._

_"Is that...?" Seungha murmured as Viian walked up to the two with her three friends behind her._

_"You are Shin Seungha, correct?" Viian asked as Seungha nodded._

_"And what about it?" Jennie replied. Viian scoffed as she looked back at the two._

_"I've seen what's been happening recently..." She crossed her arms and looked away from the two, "You've been creating quite a bit of buzz recently,"_

_Seungha nodded, "I guess we have. What's it to you?" That confidence... it bothered Viian. Everyone else knew it was their place not to question her, but ever since these two had begun climbing the ranks, more and more people were finally voicing their doubt._

_It made sense to Viian- with how far Jennie was going, people were wondering if her best friend would also climb higher. The only place above Number Two was Number One. To put it bluntly, people were now starting to wonder- and perhaps hope- that Seungha would take Viian's spot. She just needed to reassure herself and others that Seungha was not after that place._

_Viian looked back at Seungha with a bothered and annoyed look, "As the Number One, it's my job to maintain order and sort out any disruption," She said, glancing at Jennie. Back then, Jennie would've cowered behind Seungha, but it's been a while since then. She stepped forward._

_"Why don't you quit beating around the bush and just say what you really mean?" Viian rolled her eyes at Jennie's demand._

_"Well, I apologise if I'm concerned that two first years have been climbing the ranks this quickly-"_

_"Aren't you also a first-year though?" Seungha asked. "We aren't so different, we're all just first-years who've put the third years here to shame, so why does it matter to you that we're also here? We're the same," What caught Seungha off guard was how angered this made Viian._

_"We are_ **_not_ ** _the same," Viian said, "I'm a perfect student. You're both just new kids who are in over their heads- you have no idea what it's like to have to work your way to where I am,"_

_Jennie rolled her eyes and smirked, stepping forward. "Oh please, it sounds like the Number One is threatened. What are you going to do? All you Higher Tiers are just scared that if I can climb up the ranks quickly enough, so can anyone,"_

_Viian sighed annoyedly, "I'm_ **_not_ ** _scared by the likes of you. There's just been a concern in the higher ranks-"_

_"Concern? You mean those uptight assholes near the top that are scared that I've started kicking ass and are worried I'll come for them next?"_

_"Jen..." Seungha warned. Jennie ignored her and stared down Viian._

_Jennie scoffed, "What? So everyone else can keep aiming for the top and we can't? Why? Could it be... you're actually threatened by us?" Jennie asked as Viian's eyes widened in anger. She wasn't angry at the idea that someone felt as if they could even challenge her, like her friends assumed, but rather, that Jennie saw right through her. Viian couldn't deny she had her concerns that Seungha would soon try and beat Viian herself._

_"Why... you-" Before Viian could do anything, Seungha put herself between the two._

_"Now now, let's all calm down," she said, "Look, Viian, I don't give a shit but fine. Neither of us will go after your title. I don't really want it anyway," Viian doubted that. If you could, why wouldn't you want to be perfect and at the top? "I won't go after your place as the strongest student so long as you don't give me a reason," she explained as she grabbed Jennie's hand. "Let's go, Jen,"_

_Viian couldn't get another word in as Seungha and Jennie walked off. "Psh, the nerve of those two," Tzuyu said as Elkie rolled her eyes._

_"I bet they think they're so powerful... challenge Viian? No one can-"_

_"Hey, let's go," Viian said as the three looked up. "I heard there's chocolate cake in the cafeteria, let's get some before it runs out," she turned around to the other three and smiled, the three smiling back._

_"Yeah... let's," Elkie said as the four walked off to the cafeteria._

_=======_

_"...Seungha?" Jennie asked as Seungha looked over. The two were currently walking down the corridor after their interaction with Viian._

_"Yeah?" Seungha asked._

_"Why... why not go after Viian's position?" She asked, "I'm not saying we should, I'm just a little curious," she asked as Seungha smiled._

_"I don't know... a lot about her doesn't add up... I think Viian isn't as perfect as she tries to be,"_

_"Hmm?" Jennie asked as Seungha continued._

_"I think there's more to her... I kinda wanna know more about her, I definitely think there's something up with her,"_

_"How so?" Jennie asked._

_"Viian's so focused on perfection... she tries way too hard sometimes, even when it makes her upset. She seems to really value her place as Number One and ties a lot of her identity to it, she cares way too much,"_

_Jennie hummed in thought before speaking again, "Yeah but, I think anyone would be as guarded as she is in her position. Who wouldn't want to be the strongest?"_

_"But... again, she's so defensive of her friends- why? By her own logic, they're weak and should keep to themselves, yet she'll fight and protect them whenever they're insulted. There's just so much that confuses me... the protectiveness of her position, her focus on perfection, the way she treats her friends versus everyone else, how that conflicts with her odd beliefs... I think she has some issues and... I guess I wanna help,"_

_Jennie stopped for a bit and shook her head with a smile, "Ever the optimist... alright, I'll trust your gut. I guess we can both get to the bottom of this," She smiled._

_===_

"Woah... I didn't think Vivi would've been like that..." Jiwoo muttered as Sooyoung nodded.

"We both joined the school in the middle of our second year, and at that point, Vivi was already the super kind person she is now," Sooyoung explained. Olivia hummed in thought as Chaewon gave her friend a quizzical look.

"What is it Oli?" Chaewon asked as Olivia looked up, realising all eyes were on her. She awkwardly rubbed the back of her head.

"O-Oh, it's nothing-"

Seungha smiled, "Feel free to share anything if it's about what I'm saying," 

Olivia seemed to consider it for a moment before speaking, "Well... this Vivi- Viian- seems like... the worst parts of you and Jennie at your worst selves," Olivia explained, "Authoritarian and caring way too much about others business, like Jennie, but also not afraid to use her power if necessary and can lash out at the wrong people, sorta like... well, what you were once like. Plus, she sounded super cold and detached,"

Seungha paused for a moment and sighed, "I guess... there was a reason I felt like there was more to her, maybe I just recognised some of the behaviour,"

Things fell awkward and silent, Olivia cursing herself mentally, thinking she probably made things awkward. Chaewon could see the visible frustration on her friend's face, so decided to say something.

"W-Well, you sounded a lot like Choerry back then..." she said as Seungha looked quizzically at her and Choerry surprised. "You had everyone's best interests at heart and could always see the good in everyone, even those who didn't like you," she explained as everyone nodded for a moment.

"Huh... that's a really nice way of putting it,"

"It's true though," Jiwoo smiled, "Now- BACK TO THE STORYTIME!" She said as everyone then winced at the volume of her voice. Seungha chuckled awkwardly and continued. 

"Well, alright. Anyways, something happened when Jennie was walking through the corridor a few days later..."

_===_

_"That Seungha..." Viian muttered at their table outdoors. Her friends noticed and looked over._

_"I'm still a little pissed. You shouldn't be treated like that! You've trained long and hard to get to that position! And they think that they can challenge you? Psh-" Tzuyu was cut off._

_"They could..." she muttered, "I was serious earlier today. I can see them beating me,"_

_"...Really?" Tzuyu said, somewhat concerned._

_Handong sighed, "Well, it's like what Seungha said. She won't go after your title so long as you don't give her a reason,"_

_"Still... why not?" She questioned._

_"What do you mean?" Handong asked as Elkie and Tzuyu looked over curiously._

_"I mean... why wouldn't someone want to be the Number One? Wouldn't any of you? If you had the power?" Viian asked. She was confused as the others all exchanged awkward looks with one another, "What?" she asked before Tzuyu put a hand on her shoulder._

_"Viian, you're kinda... the only one among us like that?" She said, Viian still confused._

_"Well..." Elkie muttered, "We kinda have our own things we enjoy. I like photography, Tzuyu enjoys helping out at a local animal shelter-"_

_"Oh my god, there's this cute dog there that I've named Gucci-" Tzuyu began._

_"-And Handong enjoys going shopping," Elkie cut Tzuyu off before her friend could go on a massive rant about how adorable the puppy that they had heard of numerous times was. "But you? You're kinda so... focused on being perfect, y'know?"_

_Viian let out a sigh, realising what her friends are trying to say, "I know, but you guys know why I can't focus on other things..." she muttered as the others sighed._

_"We aren't blaming you for that," Handong said, "We just think, maybe you don't need to be so concerned. Seungha is so nice to everyone, it's kinda hard to see her genuinely want to dethrone you as Number One,"_

_"Maybe..." Viian muttered._

_"To be honest," Elkie began, "I don't mind her. I think it's great there's someone that's standing up for the lower tiers,"_

_"-Of course you would!" A male student said. It was the same one from the classroom at the beginning of the day. "Oh, I don't know why a weakling like you is kept around my the Number One. Probably as some sort of cruel joke," he said, his two friends backing up. The four of them groaned. Viian stood up and walked over._

_"Didn't I warn you-"_

_"Look, your majesty," he said, his tone was more challenging, "You know more than anyone how things work around here. The strong above the weak. So why keep her around?"_

_"Elkie is a High Tier. She's far from weak-"_

_"She's in the lower bracket of High Tiers! With a level of 4.9 at that! How could you-"_

_"-Do not challenge me." She said, her voice cold and her eyes glowing. His two friends began to edge away, deciding not to get on the bad side of the Number One. But he smirked and stood his ground._

_"Please, you're mad at Shin Seungha for disrupting the order of things, right?" He questioned with a smirk. "But you yourself aren't a shining example of that,"_

_"What are you getting at?" She asked, almost about done with anything he was saying._

_"That you're a hypocrite who should get her act together," that statement alone was enough to cause Viian to raise her fist, ready to send this idiot flying, "Or... perhaps you instead of fear her?" Viian paused, her fist a few inches away from his face, "Is the Number One scared of being beaten? Of being replaced by a new successor?"_

_She stayed silent. "I doubt it, of course," he smirked, "But really, you should get your act together... I'm just saying what the students are thinking... keep that weakling around as an exception... how many exceptions is a person allowed to make without the order being disrupted?" He questioned, turning his back. Viian glanced back at Elkie, seeing her look down at the floor and rubbing her arm sadly._

_Before he could walk away, feeling proud he could leave the Number One stunned, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head as he was sent flying into the pavement._ _Viian stood above him, a few students now watching. "You are not ever in any position to question who I choose to befriend. You are not ever in any position to challenge me. You are not ever in any position to criticise me. I am perfect, you are terribly flawed," she stated, coldly and harshly. She walked back to the others, giving Elkie an encouraging smile._

_"C'mon, let's go," Tzuyu smiled, leaving the student to his two friends._

_Off in the distance, Jennie hummed in thought. "Seungha was right... there is so much more to her..."_

_=======_

_Jennie sighed to herself as another lesson was finished. She was ready to head home after that lesson had almost put her to sleep. Almost... despite how monotonous the entire thing felt, there was still a thought at the back of her mind that kept her awake. Why? If there truly was a reason, why was Viian so guarded? These past few days, Jennie had made sure to watch the girl whenever she was nearby._

_She had gotten a better understanding of what the girl was like. She was guarded, quiet, secretive and just downright cold around other students, but when it came to her friends? Jennie admired how much Viian cared for them. It was so... contradictory. Someone so focused on perfection, someone who just looked down upon the lower ranks, was hanging out with people who- while powerful- were nowhere near her level._

_It baffled her, she wondered if there was some sort of problem in her life or some reasoning to her obsession with perfection. As she was walking, she overheard a few faint whispers._

_"Hey look... ain't that Viian?"_

_"Dude... be quiet. I don't want her to-"_

_"Relax. In all honesty, I think she's gotten soft recently..." One of them whispered. Jennie looked ahead, seeing Viian and her friends in front of them, Viian had her back turned as the others glared at the three students. None of them even noticed._

_"Yeah... come to think of it, apparently, Seungha and Jennie had trash-talked her to her face, and she did nothing," he said, "Apparently she got super defensive when some guy brought them up,"_

_"Pfft, do you think she's scared of them?"_

_"Honestly, I think the two should take her down a peg, serves her right for being a total bitch-"_

_"Hey," Jennie said. Viian's eyes widened, and the three students all immediately gasped._

_"O-Oh, Jennie, haha... didn't see you there," Jennie sighed._

_"Look, it's getting late, why don't you three just go back to your dorms?" She said as the three nodded, running out of the corridor. Jennie looked over to the other four and was surprised to see Elkie smiling at her. Jennie smiled back, glad that someone had seemed appreciative of her efforts._

_"Hey, thanks for-" Elkie began, but was cut off._

_"I didn't need that..." Viian muttered. Jennie tilted her head in confusion._

_"Didn't need what?" She asked, annoyance in her tones._

_"Your meddling..." Viian responded, "I could've shown them-"_

_"What? You think beating a few students would change everyone's minds?" She asked. She sighed and crossed her arms, "You know, I've been hearing their rumours and I think I get why you're so on edge,"_

_Viian turned around to stare down the girl with an angered expression, "What?"_

_"Everyone's talking," Jennie began, "About how Seungha will take your title as the Number One, and you're worried, aren't you?" Jennie smirked, "You're actually worried Seungha might try and take it, and that she'll win,"_

_Viian's hands clenched, her body shaking with anger. Her friends gave her a concerned look._

_"Viian- calm down-"_

_"She can try," Viian began, pushing past them. "But I'm perfect, I can't-"_

_"Nobody's perfect, not even you," Jennie cut her off, "I don't see the need in trying," she sighed. "But don't worry about it. Seungha isn't thinking of taking your title. In reality... she'd much prefer to help you,"_

_This earnt shocked looks from the lot of them, "What?" Viian asked._

_"I don't know... she said she wanted to talk with you outside the school. She's convinced something is up with you," Jennie smirked, "Whether or not there is, however..." she trailed off and sighed. "Just go to her, the girl's been waiting for a while now," Jennie turned around and started walking off._

_"H-hey! This isn't over!" Viian yelled, her friends trying to calm her down._

_"You can thank me later for getting rid of those guys by the way," Jennie replied, waving as she turned around the corner and continued on her way, choosing to go a different route out._

_Viian was silent. Her friends all sharing concerned looks. "Viian... Kahei?"_

_"Yeah?" She asked._

_"Are you... gonna go?" Tzuyu asked. Viian sighed._

_"I don't know... this Seungha is really starting to get on my nerves,"_

_"Yeah I see your point," Tzuyu replied, "She's cute but annoying,"_

_Elkie then spoke up, "Yeah... sometimes I really don't get her or her friend. What was her name again? Jinnie?"_

_"Jennie- it's Jennie," Handong replied. She sighed, "Viian, you should go," The others gave her a confused look as she sighed. "Look, I don't think Seungha is after your title and you shouldn't worry about it. Don't try and pretend you aren't," She said before Viian could get another word in, "We all know how sensitive you are over that..." she muttered, the four all sharing an uncomfortable expression. "...but I think Seungha could be someone you trust,"_

_Viian sighed, "I'm not sure... I'll go talk to her because you asked, but don't expect us to be friends or something," she said as she walked out the doors ahead of them._

_"Wait, before you go-" Handong tried to say but Viian was already out of earshot. She huffed annoyedly and followed through the doors._

_=======_

_Viian walked out to the doors of the Academy and noticed a small tree. Under the shade of the emerald leaves was Seungha, who leant back against the trunk of the tree with her arms crossed and a smile once she noticed Viian's presence. Viian rolled her eyes and pocketed her hands, and walked over. Seungha stood up properly as the two met beneath the shadow of the tree._

_"So... I was told you wanted to talk to me?" Viian asked as Seungha smiled._

_"Yep, just wanted to talk for a few seconds," She said, "I won't take too much of your time,"_

_Viian sighed, "Fine, but make it quick. I have a study session at Handong's dorm later,"_

_Seungha smiled. For some reason, she found it quite pleasing to see someone like Viian hold their friends to such priority. She assumed most High Tiers that cared about ranks and tiers were usually too snooty or 'proper' to make friends or even care about them to that level._

_"It's just... I feel like something is bothering you?" Seungha questioned as Viian raised an eyebrow._

_"...bothering- what do you mean?" Viian asked, genuinely somewhat confused and thrown off by Seungha's question._

_Seungha sighed, "You know, I feel like something is just... off with you. Like, I get why most people care about rankings- even if I don't agree. But you... something is weird,"_

_Viian was still confused, and she sighed, "Try and be more specific..."_

_Seungha smiled, she hadn't been threatened yet, so that was a good sign. "What... Why do you try to be so perfect? I understand wanting to be the best but... you put a weird emphasis on being perfect when we first talked- why is that?"_

_Viian stayed quiet for a moment before speaking. "I don't like telling strangers information about me- why should I trust you anyhow?"_

_Seungha smiled, "Viian, you haven't really known me for long but, you can trust me. I don't wanna use this as leverage against you. Besides, I'm sure you have a prying question to ask me too, right? I'll answer that if you answer mine," she smiled._

_Viian stayed silent, before sighing defeatedly. "Sure, that works. But... not here," she said, looking around at the many students still walking through the gates. Seungha noted the discomfort on Viian's face and smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. This put Viian on edge, but she looked up at Seungha's face._

_"Hey, whatever makes you feel comfortable," Viian nodded slowly and walked off, Seungha following behind._

_Jennie popped her head out from behind the tree she was hidden behind. "Well... can't let Seungha have all the fun..." she muttered, trying to sneakily follow them, but not before bumping into someone. The two fell to the ground as Jennie groaned._

_"Agh... I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," she said, as she looked to see another student. They shook their head and stood up._

_"No, it was my fault, I should've been looking where I was going," Jennie looked up to see a blonde female student who was significantly taller than hair. She noted the round glasses they wore and their cute face. They extended a hand, "Sorry,"_

_Jennie smiled and took it as she was helped up, "Don't worry about it," as she stood proper, Jennie then realised just how much taller this person was. She was quite surprised if she was honest, their legs were longer than she thought. She looked at their face and noticed a faint pink tint to it, but she thought nothing of it._

_"Hi, I'm Jennie," she smiled as the blonde girl nodded._

_"U-Um, yeah. I'm Lisa," Lisa said, "W-Well, it was nice meeting you Jen..." the words were stuck in her throat. Lisa mentally cursed at her self, but Jennie giggled. Lisa felt like dying, she began thinking Jennie was laughing at her embarrassing mistake, but she smiled._

_"Nicknames already? I like that. Well, I hope I'll see you around Lili," Jennie smiled as she walked off, hoping that Viian and Seungha hadn't gotten too far._

_Meanwhile, Lisa's head was spinning. It wasn't every day you fell head over heels for a girl you just met. Jennie's cute giggle, her smile, her... everything. It made Lisa feel jumpy and shake with an odd mixture of nervousness and excitement. It was that day that Lisa realised that she may have just developed feelings for Jennie Kim, that would go unnoticed right into their third year._

_=======_

_"Much better," Viian smiled contently. Seungha looked around, the two were at a milkshake store in the mall. She wasn't going to deny, the atmosphere felt amazing and bright, and in general, she felt so much more at ease with the white lighting, clean and pristine tables and tiles and the servers who were on... rollerskates? Seungha had to think that carrying drinks whilst on rollerskates was dangerous, but Viian assured her the workers knew what they were doing._

_And judging how not a drop was spilt when their milkshakes arrived, she chose to believe her._

_"I like this place," Seungha smiled, taking a sip from her deliciously amazing milkshake. Viian smiled back._

_"My dad used to take me here a lot..." She smiled sadly._

_"Oh... is he...?" Viian nodded as Seungha frowned._

_"O-Oh..."_

_"It's fine... I've had time to process it..." She said, letting out a sad sigh. "Besides... we aren't here to talk about that," she said as Seungha nodded._

_"Right... so my question still stands..." Seungha began, stirring her milkshake with her straw as Viian began to take a sip from her own milkshake, "Why do you care so much about being perfect?" Viian put her milkshake down and let out a sigh._

_"To understand that... I guess we do need to speak about my father," Seungha felt her body tense with understandable anxiety. Was it really her place to be asking about it? What if this was_ **_really_ ** _sensitive for Viian? Regardless, Viian continued. "My father was... a great man. Someone who I looked up to fondly and still admire. He was a wonderful person... cursed with a painful ability," Seungha raised a brow as Viian sighed._

_She rolled up her sleeve and removed a glove on her left arm. Seungha was amazed, beneath all that fabric wasn't flesh and muscle and skin, but rather cold steel plates, machinery and wires. Viian's arm was... robotic?_

_"My arm, as you can say, isn't organic. I am, in fact, a Binate- an individual who possesses more than one power," She explained, "My main power is Time Manipulation- which allows me to control the flow of time. But, my arm? It's a result of a... less than defective ability called the 'Cybernetic Virus'. It came from my father..."_

_"A virus?" Seungha questioned._

_"Throughout one's life, the human body becomes cold, unfeeling metal. This wouldn't be too much of a problem if it weren't for the fact that once a being is fully cybernetic, they die..." she explained, "My father met that fate... he was a proud police officer, but encountered a criminal who could speed up one's life. The criminal has since been caught but... instead of growing old and dying, the virus spread faster and turned him into a steel statue," Seungha noticed Viian's eyes well up._

_Seungha handed the girl a tissue, Viian wiped her tears. "I... shouldn't be crying-"_

_"No, it's fine... I'm sorry for making you cry," Seungha said guiltily, looking away. Viian was amazed that Seungha blamed herself for the girl's sadness. She sighed._

_"My mum was grief-stricken... but things really changed for the worst after he died. She changed as a person, became cold and emotionless, and wanted me to do the same. I guess since I had become her last source of pride, she took it to the extreme. She kept me away from friends, made me train to become stronger... even allowed the same virus that took her husband to affect me, just so that my powers became stronger and so that I felt more of a need to master them... she took away everything that made me happy so I could become 'perfect'..."_

_"Wow..." Seungha murmured._

_"Those friends you saw? I've known them since we were children... my mother allows me to keep them, so long as I remain perfect..."_

_"You stay perfect... so your mother doesn't take away the only things that make you happy?"_

_"I hate it... if I'm honest. I'd love to hear more about Elkie and her opinions on how bad it is for anyone beneath a level 5 but... my mother enforces the idea that I have to keep order... and the pressure from peers doesn't help..." she muttered. Seungha smiled and reached over, putting a hand on Viian's shoulder._

_"I hate my name... so I call myself Viian, the name my father was originally going to call me until he and my mother decided to call me Kahei," she explains. Seungha smiles and speaks up._

_"Hey... you don't have to change for anyone except yourself," She said, "You don't have to listen to those peers of yours, they never have your best interest at heart. You love your friends... so listen to them," she grinned. Viian looked away, hiding a small smile on her face. It had been a long while since sh_ _e felt such reassurance from someone other than her friends. Seungha had an energy that mimicked that of an older sister who only wanted to make sure everyone else was safe._

_"Thanks... I guess," she said._

_"Well, finish your milkshake. I wanna go somewhere else so you can ask me your invasive question," Seungha said. Viian's eyes widened._

_"You're... actually doing that?"_

_"I mean... yeah, why wouldn't I? Kinda unfair if you just had to," Viian... smiled. Seungha felt herself become far happier upon seeing the girl smile, feeling her heart rate increase and her own mouth smile._

_"Well, thanks, again. It's been a while since a Higher Tier's been this nice to me... are you sure you're-"_

_"I'm not trying to get anything out of this other than understanding you and letting you understand me," Seungha reassured with a smile._

_Jennie watched from a table away, "Seungha can make anyone smile..." she murmured before continuing to read through the menu._

_"Um... Jennie, why are we here?" A friend of Jennie's asked as Jennie looked up at her orange-haired friend. She had been brought along so Jennie seemed less 'suspicious'._

_"Rosé, I'm just here to make sure things go well,"_

_"I mean, sure, if stalking the two is what you call it..." Rosé muttered quietly to the friend she had known since they were thirteen. She just assumed Jennie was jealous, but Jennie profusely denied that accusation when they arrived. But... Rosé noted how odd the fact that Jennie was a blushing mess when she said that was._

_=======_

_"Aaaaand I win!" Viian smiled brightly as Seungha whined, beating the girl at another arcade machine._

_"No fair, I brought you here on my own accord! And you're beating my highscore? What treason is this?" Seungha asked as Viian giggled. Seungha had to admit, Viian was cute when she was happy._

_"Not my fault you're just bad at this," she smirked as Seungha rolled her eyes with a smile. The loud atmosphere in the arcade meant the two could hear each other, but no one else could hear what they were talking about._

_"Anyways, your question?"_

_Viian thought for a while, before speaking up, "Why do you not want to be the Number One?"_

_Seungha smiled and looked back to the machine, inserting another coin as the two prepared for yet another rematch._

_"To put it bluntly, I just don't care," she said, "Though... I guess it does stem from somewhere, if I'm honest," she said, eyes glued to the screen._

_"Hm? From where?" Viian asked, her eyes also stuck to the screen as she and Seungha smashed buttons at an equally rapid pace._

_"...My mother isn't that dissimilar to yours, though I wouldn't say my situation is as bad as yours," she began, "Both of my parents... hate the fact I'm powerful. Ever since an accident when I was younger, they've been forcing me away from people, keeping me out of family activities, trying to make me as isolated as possible, fearing the possibility I'll hurt someone... and I hate it,"_

_"So... they don't like the fact you're powerful?" Viian questioned._

_"Yep... I don't care about ranking because... I'd do anything to have some more friends and to not feel this lonely..." she explained, "I've been alone for so long... I have an opportunity to make a new impression, to start anew as a new person. I want to be proud of my power and not fear it, I want to be friends with anyone- regardless of stupid factors like their rank," she said. "Ha! I win!" She smiled as Viian looked back to the girl, astounded._

_From what she said, Viian would expect a much more melancholic or awkward person, but Seungha was kind, gentle and most importantly, happy. She felt happy and that happiness was contagious. A few hours ago, Viian was dumbfounded by Seungha and held some resentment towards her, but now? She was smiling and laughing alongside her. She looked back to the screen and back at the girl._

_"Yeah... you did,"_

_=======_

_"It... it has been a while since I've been here... I'm not sure if I'm confident I'm still good at this..." Viian muttered as Seungha held the other girl's hand, shakily stepping onto the ice rink._

_"Please, I haven't been skating much either-" Seungha tried to say._

_"But you create ice, you know how it works," Viian said a-matter-of-factly._

_"...fair,"_

_The two were now at the ice skating rink, and Viian was shakily holding onto Seungha's arm as they skated around the large open and cold area. Viian mentioned she used to go there with her father, and without even thinking, Seungha grabbed her arm and decided that's where the two would finish their day out. The two were circling around the edge, with Seungha smiling and encouraging Viian all the way._

_"Hey so... about what we spoke about..." Seungha began as Viian looked over._

_"Yeah?" Viian asked, wondering what the girl would say._

_"...You wanna know something Viian?" A rising feeling of nervousness built up within the girl. Was Seungha about to reveal some sort of devious intention? Did she want Viian to spill out her past? Viian nervously nodded as Seungha smiled. "I think you're one of the strongest people I know," she said as Viian looked over, surprised that Seungha would just suddenly state it. "And because of that... I don't just think you are, I know you are strong enough to choose your own destiny,"_

_Viian's eyes were just on Seungha, "You don't have to listen to your mother, those peers of yours or anyone else. You're independent enough to decide your own fate and your own life. No one else can ever tell you otherwise,"_

_Viian felt her mouth turn to a smile, hearing these heartfelt words pour out of Seungha's mouth evoked some kind of emotion within her. "_ _You're great, Viian. You're powerful. You're strong. You can control your future just as easily as you can control time itself. Be who you want to be and don't let your mother stop you,"_

_Viian didn't know what it was, but she felt her body move towards and hug Seungha and bury herself in the other girl's neck. "I_ **_hate_ ** _that I don't hate you anymore,"_

_Seungha laughed, "Are we friends or something?" She asked, somewhat curious._

_"...don't jump the gun just yet," Viian said, breaking away from the girl._

_Seungha just shrugged, "Fine by me," she smiled as she noticed a smaller smile on the girl's face. Viian began skating by herself as Seungha smiled, skating beside her._

_=======_

_From the entrance of the rink, Jennie looked over and smiled._

_"Isn't that nice? Seungha can literally reach anyone. She's even been able to get the harsh and distant Number One of our school to open up. This is great..." Yet, some odd feeling began to stir inside of her, "...right? It is... so why..." she brought her hand up to her chest, "...do I feel this way?"_

_Jennie felt some sort of pain at seeing Viian and Seungha smile together, and that hug especially caused something to burn within her. She had no idea why she felt this way, her brain told her this was a good thing, but her heart told her otherwise. Confused, she shook her head and left. Rosé who was preoccupied with a smoothie looked at her friend and to Viian and Seungha. Seeing her friend's reaction, made her consider something._

_Was Jennie... jealous?_

_=======_

_The next day of school arrived and now, Viian's head was a mess. She hated to admit that she and Seungha had a good time, even more, that she may not hate her nearly as much. The words she were told yesterday still rung within her head. It ended up blocking out a lot of noise from her surroundings, so it was no surprise that in her preoccupied mental state, she bumped into someone. She felt herself fall onto the ground as did the other person._

_Rubbing her head, she looked and saw a first-year with fear in their eyes._

_"Oh god... did they bump into Viian?"_

_"She isn't gonna... y'know?"_

_"Nah, Viian ain't that violent... but they'll get an earful, that's for sure,"_

_"Just for bumping into her?"_

_Viian got up with the help of Tzuyu and looked down at the student. They began shaking, too frozen with fear to do anything. At that moment, Viian felt the world around her slow down. The world was in slow-motion. Her eyes were focused on the fearful look of the student. Was this how people saw her? Just another bully? The fearful look in the student's eyes seemed to remind her of something. Before her eyes, flashed a different person..._

_==_

_"Do you want to become like your father?!" Viian's mother half-shrieked as a younger Viian felt tears stream down her face. Her knees felt weak, the words of her mother sliced at her very soul._

_"P-Please... c-can't you just s-stop it?" She begged as her mother scoffed._

_"At this rate... you'll be nothing but a disappointment. I'm already slowing down its growth, but until you learn how to use your powers, it'll keep growing," Her mother said, looking down at the child with a dark look, one filled purely with a deep-seated rage. She walked off, the sound of her heels clicking against the floors of the corridor still echoing throughout the house. Viian looked down at her left arm, her hand almost entirely robotic now._

_Every day now, she felt the cold feeling of her hand grow. Every day, she lost more and more warmth. She could barely feel anything with it, it was absolutely cold and numb. She wondered for how long it would last and how long this fear in her would last. She cried that night, as she would many nights, remembering the days where she didn't fear her mother's anger at her not having mastered her powers yet._

_==_

_...did they see her the same way she saw her mother? With nothing but fear?_

_Viian extended her hand thoughtlessly, not thinking at all, only seeing herself in the fearful student. The student looked up shocked. At that moment, Viian then heard the chatters of surrounding students and was brought back to reality. The student began to extend a shaky hand onto Viian's. Viian helped them stand up. Her friends watched surprised, the surrounding student's confused._

_Viian rubbed the back of her head awkwardly and averted her gaze, "U-Um... be careful next time," she said, walking off, her friends trailing behind her._

_As she moved to a new corridor, empty of any students, she turned around to look at her friends._

_"You guys... wanna talk?" She questioned._

_"...what did you do?" Tzuyu asked as Viian rubbed her arm awkwardly._

_"Was it... bad?" She questioned as Elkie's eyes widened._

_"No no no! It's just... you're usually not so... considerate?" Elkie said as Viian nodded._

_The memory flashed before her again. "Y-Yeah... I realise..."_

_Handong looked at Viian and stepped forward, "Kahei?"_

_"Y-Yeah?"_

_"What... happened on that day with Seungha?" Handong asked as Viian let out a sigh. She put a hand on her side and thought for a second._

_"...it went... good,"_

_"Good?" They asked curiously as Viian nodded._

_"I don't know... I guess I expected to dislike her more... but in all honesty... I think I might have a bit more respect for her now," Viian said. "Like... I wouldn't say friends, not yet. But, we talked a lot. About a lot of stuff. And that talking made me realise that..." She took a breath as the others all focused on her._

_"Realise what?" Tzuyu asked._

_"Realise that... I'm not being the best person I can," she laughed sarcastically, "I hate my mother for making me so scared of her but... what am I doing? All I'm doing is making more people frightened of someone who is strong enough to protect and stand up for them. I could be so much better but... I'm not," she sighed. "And I can be better,"_

_The other two stayed silent but Elkie stepped forward with a bright smile on her face. "Viian... you realised exactly what you needed to," she said, complete sincerity in her voice, "You aren't a bad person, but you can be much better. And it's okay and perfectly healthy to realise it and change. You're strong enough to change and I believe you can do it," Elkie smiled. Viian felt a small smile grow on her face._

_"Yeah... you're right," she admitted. Her friends all looked at each other and shared a smile. Viian sighed contently, "Guess I'll see Seungha later, I wanna say a few things to her,"_

_Handong smiled, "I want to be there for that. Seeing you speak positively to Seungha? I have to see that,"_

_Viian rolled her eyes with a smile, "Whatever you say," she said, turning around and walking off, her friends not too far behind._

_=======_

_Seungha rolled her eyes. "Oh please, all I wish to know are the details," he said, his voice sounding snide and far too arrogant for Seungha's liking. Jennie's patience was also beginning to run thin. However, he wasn't so keen on giving up. He had gauze on the back of his head after Viian's hit sent him flying the other day._

_"Ugh, can't you just leave us alone?" Jennie asked, her eyes beginning to glow red as a red aura manifested around her. The student quickly put up his hands._

_"Now now! I'm not here to fight!" He hurried out, "I just want to know why Viian would even bother to 'hang out' with someone like you'," he sneered as Jennie scoffed. But, before she could do anything, the student felt a sharp kick on his back as he was sent flying again. Jennie looked over to his body as he painfully got up and stifled a laugh._

_"Wow, he's blasting off again," she mused as she looked over to who kicked him. She was surprised at who it was. Seungha smiled. The student got up and angrily turned around, ready to demand who dared to touch him. But, he was taken aback and his rage transformed into confusion._

_"Viian?" The three questioned. Viian looked over at the two before looking back at the student. She scoffed and rolled her eyes._

_"Why do you keep trying to end up on my bad side? Do you want to fight?" She questioned. He looked between Viian and back to Seungha and Jennie. No way, like hell he was going to try and fight them all. He shook his head and ran off. Viian turned to look back at Jennie and Seungha. She averted her eyes and rubbed the back of her head._

_"So..." she began._

_"So," Seungha replied, "Any reason you want to speak to me?" She questioned. Viian laughed a little._

_"Haha... um..." the three of her friends were mentally face-palming in the background, getting increasingly annoyed at Viian's ineptitude at being able to interact with some people. "I just wanted to say... thank you, for yesterday,"_

_"Happy to help," Seungha smiled, "Looked like you really needed it,"_

_"Yeah... you know," she began, looking back at Seungha, "I guess... talking to someone about it, and knowing there was someone similar, made me feel a little better and less lonely... felt nice to talk to you,"_

_Seungha smiled warmly, "Don't mention it, just wanted to help out,"_

_Viian stayed quiet for a few seconds, "Well," Seungha looked at Viian who was now looking to the floor, "You said something and... I just wanted to ask..."_

_"Yeah?" Seungha said as Viian sighed and looked up._

_"Am I... really strong enough?" She asked. Jennie looked curiously between the two, she didn't get all of their conversations yesterday, so she was just as clueless as Viian's now intrigued friends._

_"Viian... of course, you are," Seungha put a supportive hand on Viian's shoulder. "Of course you're strong enough,"_

_"Then..." Viian sighed, "This'll sound crazy... am I strong enough to change? To be a better person?" Seungha looked into Viian's eyes and could see genuine curiosity- she could tell Viian was confused and needed to hear it from her, someone who very quickly believed in her._

_"Yeah, you can. And you can always ask for help, but that doesn't make you any less strong or capable. The choice of what you want to do is yours," Seungha reassured as Viian smiled._

_"Yeah... thanks..." she said as Handong quickly slapped her friend's back._

_"Well, looks like you two_ **_did_ ** _become friends by the end of it all," Handong smiled as Viian nodded. Seungha then had a bright idea._

_"Hey... why don't we all eat lunch together?" Seungha asked. "I know a place," she said, smiling. Handong thought about it for a second and smiled._

_"Sure, I'm down with that,"_

_"Count me in," Tzuyu said excitedly._

_"Sounds fun," Elkie commented and looked to Viian to see her response. The Number One sighed and looked away._

_"I mean... if you insist..." she hid a small smile on her face as her friends began talking excitedly. She looked over to both Jennie and Seungha, both of whom sent bright smiles her way. For once, Viian didn't even realise the amount of missed calls she was getting from her mother or the stress of everyone's expectations. For once, Viian felt happy._

_=======_

_It had been a few days and Viian wasn't really sure if she'd call herself friends with Seungha just yet. The two were certainly closer and Handong had, of course, made jokes about how the two were now indeed friends. Perhaps it may have felt that way to Seungha, but again, Viian wasn't sure what she should call it. Regardless, she had now begun walking around the school with Seungha and Jennie along with the rest of her friends._

_"And so I may have turned it into a snowball fight-"_

_"God, your powers sound so cool," Tzuyu commented. Seungha let out an awkward laugh._

_"Haha... I mean yours are pretty cool too,"_

_"You bet," Tzuyu commented, a faint dark blue glow emanating from one of her hands and lighter blue sparks coming from the other._

_**Chou Tzuyu - Dual Beams** _

_**Tzuyu can fire off different energy beams from her hands. From her left hand, she fires a light blue beam that damages her opponents and from her right hand, she can fire a dark blue beam that heals her friends or even herself.** _

_As Viian smiled at her friend and Seungha, she heard something around the corner. It was quiet and faint but to her, it sounded as if someone was... crying? Concerned, and without telling her friends, she walked off and around the corner. She gasped when seeing a girl getting kicked and picked on by some students. She quickly recognised one as the same student who challenged her and was bothering Seungha and Jennie._

_In a blur of pink light, Viian dashed forward and kicked the student back several feet._

_The surrounding students all immediately backed off when seeing Viian and decided to ditch the student and leave him at Viian and her friends' mercy._

_"Agh..." He coughed, trying to get up. He looked up to see Viian staring down at him. He laughed sarcastically, "Well well well... nice to see you," He commented._

_"Cut the shit, stop picking on this kid," she said as he laughed again._

_"Oh... but why?" He asked. Viian scoffed, "No, seriously, why? A few days ago you would've just turned a blind eye to this scenario, even justifying it as 'just how the system works'. So, why should I stop?"_

_"Because..._ _" Viian didn't have an answer. The student scoffed and stood up. He was definitely taller than Viian but was likely weaker._

_"I know why. Because you've grown to hate this system. I felt like you would, you were already hanging out with someone nowhere near your level, and not only did you refuse to deal with Seungha properly, but you're practically her lapdog now!" He said. Seungha quickly ran up to him and punched him. He went down to the floor again but caught himself this time._

_"How about you shut the fuck up?" Seungha asked, her voice unusually cold. "Viian worked harder than all of you Higher Tiers combined to make you guys happy and, of course, you're pissed that she's finally done listening to you. Viian isn't my 'lapdog'. She's my friend and above all else, her own person,"_

_The student scoffed and turned back to Viian. He pointed to the student he was picking on. "You see her? You bumped into her last week and did nothing. So I thought I would teach her not to mess with Higher Tiers, especially if our weak Number One wasn't," Viian looked at the First-Year, on their knees and hands, crying. "It's your fucking fault she's like that," Viian looked to the floor guiltily._

_Jennie and Tzuyu walked over as Elkie and Handong tried to help the student up, "No it isn't," Jennie began, "Viian isn't responsible for your dumbass behaviour,"_

_"Yeah, why are you so pissed? She wants to change, so she will,"_

_The student scoffed again, "You really think we can just 'change'? This is how it's always been, we just have to enforce it,"_

_"But..." Viian began, "But why can't we just do something about it?" The younger student, whilst being helped up by Elkie and Handong, looked over at Viian. "I..." she scoffed, "I fucking hated it... but yeah, I assumed I couldn't do shit about it... but, if I'm strong enough to enforce it, I'm more than strong enough to go up against it. I wanna... set an example, create a place where people..." She thought back to those fearful times when training with her mother, "...don't have to fear power,"_

_Seungha's eyes softened and looked over to Viian as her heart resonated with those words so strongly. The boy seemed confused and sighed. He turned around and walked off, "What if they don't accept you?" He questioned._

_"Even if they choose to reject me, I'll still work to create an environment free of fear," Viian declared as he paused. He shook his head and walked off, muttering something about how irresponsible that idea was. But Viian didn't care._

_The younger student stood on her feet as Handong and Elkie handed her belongings over and watched as she quickly hurried over to Viian. "U-Um... is what you said... true?" She queried as Viian simply smiled warmly._

_"Of course," she said, "I meant it... I know it's pretty sudden... and I far from expect everyone else to suddenly be okay with it given how I once acted. But, I'm still going to do it. It's not just what other people want but me too,"_

_The student was slow to reply, concerning Viian, but looked up and smiled at Viian, "Well, I'll be supporting you and have all the faith you will," she said, "I'm super thankful you decided to help me. Hope to see you around," she beamed Viian was stunned as her friends watched her and smiled. Seungha patted her on the back._

_"Looks like people are gonna be more supportive than you thought," She said as the student spoke up again._

_"Though... I will say making changes to your style might help," they said, handing Viian a business card. The others gave a raised brow to the student before looking back to the card._

**_Minatozaki Fashion: Feel Fancy, Feel Special, Feel Yourself._ **

_The girl giggled. "My parents actually own a fashion store down the road from here. I know it might not be up to your standards but... it'd mean a lot if you checked it out,"_

_Viian smiled and pocketed the card. "I'll be sure to do that," The student walked off as Tzuyu muttered something._

_"She's cute," she said as Elkie's eyes widened and she elbowed her friend. "Ow- what?" Elkie huffed and walked off, Tzuyu chasing after her as the others laughed at the two, walking after them. Viian looked at the card again, Jennie looking over._

_"Hm, something up?" She asked as Viian looked up._

_"Oh- uh, I was thinking... maybe a change in style would work?"_

_Jennie smiled, and looked at the dark brown hair on Viian's head, "Maybe a hair colour change to complete the look too? Just a suggestion," she said as Viian nodded. The two continued to walk after their friends as Viian thought. She looked to her hands as pink energy glowed from them. An idea lit up in her head. She smiled to herself._

_That night, Viian visited Minatozaki Fashion and also went and bought some hair dye._

_=======_

_All eyes were on her. Viian rubbed her arm awkwardly as everyone else stared at the girl. As she walked over to her friends, they were all taken back by the girl's new style. Not only was her once dark brown hair a now soft pink, but her clothes had gone from generally dark to much lighter as she wore a pastel pink cardigan over a light blue button-up and white pleated skirt._

_"So... what's up?" She questioned as they all smiled._

_"Umm... girl? Did you really have to prove you're beautiful no matter the style you wear?" Elkie asked as Viian smiled, feeling far more comfortable with her newer choice of clothes._

_However, the new look didn't just attract the attention of her friends, but also of a certain student she had been against for the past few days._

_"So... a new look to complete this change?" He questioned. Viian turned around, still entirely ready to still kick him through a wall if needed. "...are you sure you can change it?"_

_Viian felt a supportive hand on each of her shoulders, one from Seungha and the other from Handong._

_"Yeah, I am," She said confidently and far more sure of herself._

_He sighed, "I guess I'm the last person who can change your mind, so... I'll be waiting to see if you really can do this. If you do, then maybe I'll consider your idea of 'free from fear' or something," he said quickly, rushing back to his friends and walking off._

_"Was that... an apology?" Tzuyu asked as Elkie shook her head._

_"Eh... not really. But, does sound like people are interested to see if you really can change," Elkie said to Viian, who smiled. "C'mon, we have lessons soon," she said, beginning to walk off with the others following._

_"Let's go Viian," Seungha said as Viian paused. The others turned to look at her, as she simply smiled._

It isn't just the name she chose for me... he also chose it for me... _she thought. She looked up, "Hey... if it isn't too much trouble, I'd prefer it if you guys just called me Kahei from now on," she said, walking forward and past them. Soon, they caught up to her as Tzuyu slapped her friend on the back._

_"Well if you say so, Kahei," Tzuyu said happily as they all walked off._

_=======_

_"I can't believe it..." Jungeun muttered to herself, watching Tzuyu, the girl who took her spot as Number Ten from her walk off happily._

_"Hey, babe, it's fine! You're still super powerful! Don't worry about it," Her girlfriend, Jinsoul, said. She beamed at Jungeun, and that smile was always enough to take Jungeun's mind away from any worries or concerns she had._

_"Thanks..." she said as Jinsoul wrapped an arm around her girlfriend and the two walked off to their own lessons._

=======

_Kahei rolled out the way as his foot landed into the ground of the arena. Her eyes were glowing pink as pink electricity seemed to crackle from her body._

_"Come on Kahei!" Seungha yelled._

_"You got this!" Tzuyu shouted as Kahei avoided yet another hit, dodging his fist swiftly._

_"Kick his ass!" Jennie exclaimed as Kahei ran forward, faster than anyone could see and kicked the student several feet back. As he landed on the floor, he quickly got back up and dashed at Kahei again, his body glowing a dark teal as he did. Kahei was currently in a fight against the student that had been an annoyance in her side around the same time she had befriended Seungha. It had been a good few weeks, and it surprised no one that he ended up challenging her._

_**??? - Heavy Hitter** _

_**He can boost both his speed and strength to tremendous levels. The downside is he is exclusively a short-range fighter and is a glass cannon, having no defence or recovery abilities.** _

_Kahei knew she had a higher level, but his speed was impressive, she was barely able to keep track of his movements. He purposefully ran around in zig-zags or circles around her to make it harder for her to track his movements. Not only that but she needed to get a clear look at him to freeze him in place and as of now all she could do was dodge his attacks by fast-forwarding herself or rewind her wounds._

_Eventually, the dust cloud and teal blur disappeared as he charged at her, fist out, ready to attack. She instinctively brought up her left arm as his fist collided with the metal arm. He was surprised Kahei could stand her ground against this attack. Quickly, she brought up her right arm and punched him in the gut, causing him to drop as she kicked him back._

_Kahei was panting as he lay on the ground, groaning in pain and clutching his stomach. He coughed and stood up, not ready to be defeated yet. Jennie groaned, "When is this guy gonna give up?" she asked as Seungha shook her head._

_"I applaud him for his determination, but wow, I don't think even I'd be able to keep up with Kahei that long,"_

_Indeed, the boy was bruised and injured. Kahei wouldn't be surprised if he had a few broken bones. Kahei could see weakness, his leg was shaking and he was relying on his other leg for support. He was clutching his side. Kahei sighed, her powers deactivating and the energy around her faded. She slowly walked over. He got into a defensive stance, but Kahei could see he was far from ready to use his powers and attack._

_She walked over, getting nearer and nearer. Then, she extended her hand. His eyes widened, "Hey, you're pretty badly injured, right? So let's stop," she said, "You fought well and certainly gave me a challenge- you did great!" she smiled, "So come on, give yourself a rest, you deserve it,"_

_He seemed hesitant, but held her hand and sighed. "I concede- Viian has won," he said. The holographic display changed to show Kahei as the winner. She smiled and began to glow pink. The boy slowly felt his injuries disappear. "Thank you," he said, a little surprised. Kahei only smiled sweetly back. "You are... way nicer than before, wow," he said, admittedly shocked._

_Kahei's friends began to walk down from the stands and over to them as she giggled, "Yeah, well, everyone is saying that now,"_

_He sighed, "Sorry, I guess you really can change... maybe that idea of a place free from fear wasn't so bad..." he muttered, "Well, I have to go now. Rules are rules, gotta head to the Doctor's Office after losing a match, even if you are healed," he said, waving as he walked off. The others patted Kahei on the back._

_"Nice one!" Tzuyu said._

_"Yeah, you sure showed him," Handong grinned as Kahei smiled._

_"Honestly, you're doing a great job Kahei," Jennie smiled, "A few weeks ago, I hated your guts, but now..." she looked down in thought and smiled, "You're definitely one of the best friends I have," Kahei smiled at the girl's kindness as Seungha nodded, standing beside Jennie._

_"Yeah, you've been doing amazingly," she said. Kahei smiled but noted something... odd. She had always seen Jennie and Seungha as close- Seungha was Jennie's first friend at this school- but she hadn't ever really picked up on the way Jennie smiled at Seungha or how she always turned a faint pink anytime Seungha was near her. Kahei was brought out of her realisation as Jennie finished speaking._

_"-Anyway, yeah, I have to go now. I'm leaving school early today, mom has to see me in her office today... weird," she muttered, "Well, see you guys later. Goodbye, Seungha," she said, waving as she walked off. Kahei amused herself with the fact that Jennie specifically addressed Seungha as well._

_Kahei looked to Seungha, wondering if the older girl had picked up on how her best friend seemingly, had a crush on her._

_===_

"And- well, Jennie had to leave that day early. Don't know why though," Seungha admitted as the others continued to intently listen.

"Wow... Vivi seemed way meaner back then but... she's definitely changed for the best," Choerry smiled. She was clearly the one most interested in Seungha's stories. The girl had been so enigmatic for all the time that Choerry has known her, so now that they were speaking to each other on the regular and that Seungha was explaining her past filled Choerry with this sense of... warmth. She felt happy that someone as closed off as Seungha was speaking to them.

Plus, she was learning a bunch about some people she knew, such as Vivi or Jennie. It made her sad knowing Jennie was so kind once and now was one of the meanest bullies she'd met. And knowing how Vivi was once a cruel Number One but now one of the kindest people she knew? It made Choerry fascinated. 

"Anyway... there is more than a few reasons I wanted to speak to you guys about my past. One of them was how Jennie and I became the way we are now... that day in the corridor and that other incident must've been pretty confusing, and I figured you guys wanted a few answers," she said as the others nodded. 

"You've already told Olivia some of it... that you and Jennie were..." Chaewon began as Seungha nodded. Choerry picked up on a smile Seungha had, but she was far less happy to see it. It wasn't a happy or joyful smile but a sad, melancholic one. One that you'd make when reflecting on sad memories or things that you missed. 

"Yeah..." she began, "I feel like explaining how we got together makes sense but... I mean, if you guys don't wanna hear it, that's fine-"

"-No, we do," Jiwoo, Chaewon and Choerry all said at once, all leaning in to get every detail of the story. Seungha chuckled lightly and nodded.

"Alright, sure," she said, sighing. "I was never one who... fell in love easily. Honestly, I always felt like love wasn't for me, that it was silly and a bit weird. But... that changed. With Jennie, I began to develop these feelings and... I've never felt the same for anyone since," she admitted, "It all began..."

_===_

_Jennie sat in her mother's office, on the leather couch her mother had. The office was... expansive. She sat on one of the two brown leather couches her mother had, both surrounding a dark coffee table. The room itself was a pristine white colour, with black painted to accentuate the serious atmosphere the room held. It was quiet. Jennie looked over at her mother on the phone at her desk. Behind her was a large photo, framed with a silver frame._

_It was of her, Jennie and her father. Jennie's face remained neutral and cold in the photo, a look Jennie rarely held. It was weird, for Jennie. Anytime she was here, she'd see that photo and see... someone she could be. Someone powerful, in control and that, had everything they could ever need. It was inspiring... she thought. Her mother's desk was made from a dark wood, painted black. It held various objects on top, ranging from a flower Jennie's father bought to several pictured frames._

_Her mother ended the call and looked over to Jennie and smiled. She called her daughter over. As Jennie walked over, she noticed the cold look in her mother's secretary's eyes. Secretary Park. Jennie didn't know much of her, except the cold nature of the woman. Rarely showing emotion, being a high-level and even sometimes saw malice behind her eyes. According to her mother, Secretary Park was an efficient and hard-working woman, but Jennie had heard of rumours how she used to be a bully back in High School._

_Regardless of rumours of her mother's secretary and assistant, Jennie stood in front of her mother's desk. Jennie's mother smiled. "Jennie... what do you want to become when you're older?" She asked as Jennie smiled._

_"Hm..." she looked around her mother's large and spacious office, high up and above the city below, "You know, wouldn't mind being somewhere like this," she mused, "Makes you feel powerful,"_

_Jennie's mother smiled and stood up, making her way around the table, "Funny you should say that..." she said, walking over to face Jennie. She stopped, standing a few feet away from her daughter._

_"...Because when you become an adult, I'm stepping down as CEO of this company and you'll take my place..." Jennie's eyes widened. Her mother stared out of one of the large windows, "You know, grandfather always held this company close to his chest, and when he finally gave it to me, I was happy. And I do plan on being CEO for a few more years," she said, "But... this was always your calling,"_

_Jennie raised a brow curiously as her mother smiled, "You're powerful, strong and confident. I saw all my best qualities in you, and then some. You could lead this company far better than I ever could. I don't plan on taking away your remaining youth, you won't become CEO immediately, but at some point... I am going to step down, and you'll be taking my place," she smiled, walking over to her daughter and placing her hands on Jennie's shoulders. "You'll be brilliant,"_

_Jennie smiled, "I better get to preparing then,"_

_Jennie's mother smiled, "Oh, look at you, so eager," Her mother looked over to Secretary Park, "Secretary Park will help train you," Jennie looked over to the woman. She could still see the cold look in the Secretary's sharp eyes. She was a young woman with long black hair tied back into a ponytail. Those eyes... they held such a cold force._

_"Yes Ma'am," Secretary Park said._

_Jennie's mother smiled and looked back to Jennie. "Jennie, dear... I know you'll make me and your father proud,"_

_Jennie smiled, "That's what I plan on doing,"_

_"Good," her mother smiled, "Secretary Park- be a dear and help Jennie outside, our butler should be ready to drive her home," she explained as the secretary nodded. She apathetically held Jennie's hand and walked out of the office, Jennie walking beside the woman. As the two left, Jennie's mother exhaled._

_"That woman..." she smiled, "She's a strong person and a strong-willed soul. Her family was never too well off, but here she is, my right-hand woman. Although..." she trailed off, "Her binate powers... Crush and Apathy.."_

_**Secretary Park - Crush and Apathy** _

_**Crush is an ability that allows her to generate huge amounts of energy to crush or damage her targets. The downside is it usually causes immense pain, but this downside is nullified thanks to her second ability...** _

_**Apathy- it allows her to actively suppress her emotions, ranging from a few of them to all of them, and even nullify pain.** _

_"...Her apathy makes it impossible for one of my abilities to even get a scent from her... Secretary Park," she said, looking at the doors where she and Jennie walked out of, "You truly are a mystery..."_

_=======_

_"So... have you guys heard of the recent news of a carnival?" Jennie asked her friends as they walked through the corridors of the academy. Jennie was secretly hoping that Seungha would be free, but it would be odd if she just asked Seungha and decided to ask everyone as a group. Besides, it was about time they all hung out together, right?_

_"Oh, yeah. I heard some second-years talk about it," Elkie said, "I think it would be fun..." She wrapped her arms around Tzuyu's side, "But, Tzuyu and I have a date night~" She smiled sweetly, leaning against her girlfriend who wrapped an arm around the girl, smiling herself. The others all collectively rolled their eyes._

_"I'm a little busy too, parents are in town so we're having a family night out," Handong explained. "Sorry,"_

_"Oh- it's fine," Jennie said, looking to Kahei and Seungha._

_Kahei sighed, "I've got a big assignment I'd rather focus on," she explained, "Seungha?" Kahei asked, wondering if the girl would go with Jennie._

_Seungha sighed, "Well if I'm honest, I'd rather it be all of us than just two of us. Besides, never really liked carnivals," she explained, "Sorry Jen," Seungha said as they all continued to walk forward. Seungha looked over concernedly at Jennie, who brought out their phone, staring at the screen._

_"Oh, it's fine. Just asking," she said nonchalantly, trying to look as if she was texting someone. Seungha smiled and kept walking forward. Kahei meanwhile, looked back over at Jennie and noted the oddly hurt look on her face._

_The truth was, Jennie wasn't even texting anyone, the phone just acted as a way to hide her face from the others. Kahei could even see how she wasn't texting anyone either. Jennie put away her phone, "Well, I've got to head to class in a few minutes, see you guys later," she said, walking off as Seungha waved._

_"Bye, Jen," Jennie didn't respond, just kept walking forward. Kahei raised a brow at this, usually, Jennie would always respond to anything Seungha said. Seungha, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice. Kahei frowned._

_"Well, I gotta go too," She said, walking off, "See you guys later!" She waved as the other four waved back. Kahei sighed, the other three staring at their friend._

_"Kahei...what's up?" Handong asked._

_"I just feel like... something is up with them," she said, "Jennie acts... differently,"_

_The others all shared confused looks. "Different how?"_

_Kahei tilted her head in thought, "I don't know... I guess-" Before she could respond, the sharp blaring of the bell rang as the four covered their ears._

_"Ugh! That thing is way too loud!" Tzuyu complained, "God, it's like our current Student Body Council Vice-President,"_

_"Park Jihyo?" Elkie questioned as Tzuyu rolled her eyes._

_"God, she is way too loud," Tzuyu muttered. "Well, guess you'll fill us in at lunch, eh? I'm pretty sure Seungha and Jennie have some club to go to as well, so it'll be just us four,"_

_"Yeah, see you Kahei!" Elkie said as she and her girlfriend walked off. Handong waved goodbye to her friend as she walked off to her lesson. Kahei was left alone in her thoughts as she began to walk to her class too. She could see it in Jennie's eyes, an emotion that she didn't fully recognise. An odd sense of hurt by Seungha's words... why? Why not the rest of them? Did she specifically hope Seungha would say yes?_

_Well, maybe it was because she just didn't want to be left alone. On the other hand... there was another idea in her head. Jennie and Seungha were close friends, they had been for weeks, maybe even months. Maybe... Jennie was slowly starting to see Seungha as less of a friend and maybe, something more._

_Perhaps the truth of it was, that Jennie had fallen for Seungha._

_=======_

_The four were eating at the hidden place that Seungha had shown them. Kahei rested her face against her palm as the took another bite out of the apple in her other hand as the other watched. Kahei seemed focused, her brows scrunched in thought and her eyes staring off into the distance. Tzuyu, Elkie and Handong all exchanged glances, all wondering what had their friend so deep in her thoughts. Handong decided to be the first one to address it as she coughed, catching the pink-haired girl's attention._

_"Huh- what is it?" She asked as the others all shot worried looks at her._

_"Kahei... you good? You've kinda been staring off into space," Elkie said as Tzuyu nodded, agreeing with her girlfriend._

_"Seriously, you've been super out of it," She said as Kahei sighed._

_"I've just been thinking..." she muttered, taking another bite as Handong sighed._

_"Thinking about... what?" Handong asked._

_Kahei stayed quiet before leaning forward, "Am I the only one who thinks there's just something... odd between Seungha and Jennie?" She asked as the other's seemed a little confused._

_Elkie tilted her head before asking, "Odd... how?"_

_Kahei sighed, "Just, the way the two interact... they seem so close, they laugh at everything the other says, I swear Jennie blushes at anything Seungha says..." The others were all now far more intrigued, all leaning forward. "And today, when Jennie had asked us about the festival, she seemed especially bothered when Seungha couldn't come with her..."_

_"Huh..." Handong muttered._

_Kahei sighed, "Honestly, I thought the idea was funny at first, but now... I'm beginning to wonder..."_

_"Does Jennie like Seungha?..." Tzuyu thought._

_"And does Seungha like her back?... hmm..." Elkie muttered. Handong looked at her three friends, all deep in thought and rolled her eyes._

_"Well- staring off into space isn't going to give you a clear answer. My thoughts?" Handong said, "Maybe ask someone else who's friends with Jennie, I'm pretty sure there's this one kid she's close with. What was her name again..?" Handong questioned as Elkie looked over._

_"Lisa?" Handong smiled and nodded, "She's friends with my ex, Sorn,"_

_"Ah, Sorn's cool," Tzuyu said as Elkie nodded._

_"Well," Kahei stood up, "I guess I'll go ask her then," she smiled, walking off. Handong gave her friend a surprised look._

_"RIGHT NOW?!"_

_=======_

_"-Anyways, I have a club meeting, see you later, Lili!" Jennie muttered as Lisa laughed and nodded. The girl didn't seem to resemble the girl who first joined the school. For one, her glasses were gone and replaced with contacts and she wore far more expensive clothing, all bought for her by Jennie. The two had certainly become far more close, perfect for Kahei, who stood outside the class._

_Jennie walked out and noticed Kahei, smiling and waving before walking down the corridor. Kahei walked into the class, meeting eyes with Lisa, who was packing her things away. However, Lisa had already learnt about how Kahei had changed (not to mention, Jennie was very vocal about how happy she was with the progress Kahei had made), so she sent a smile towards the Number One._

_"Hi, Kahei!" Lisa said as Kahei smiled._

_"Hey, I just wanted to talk for a bit," she said, gesturing for Lisa to follow her outside the class. Lisa shrugged but decided to follow the pink-haired girl._

_As they walked outside, Kahei let out a sigh before asking her next question. "So... this is about Jennie and Seungha and-" to her surprise, Lisa let out a sigh, which caused Kahei to raise an eyebrow. Lisa's eyes widened as she awkwardly laughed it off._

_"Haha, sorry, just a little tired," she explained as Kahei seemed doubtful but nodded._

_"Anyways, I wanted to ask you... how does_ _Jennie_ _talk about Seungha?"_

_Lisa hummed to herself in thought as she leant back against the wall,"To be honest... she talks about Seungha a lot. You didn't hear it from me but... the girl is whipped," she explained as Kahei's eyes widened._

_"I knew it..." she muttered as Lisa chuckled to herself._

_"You know, it's funny. If I'm honest..." she sighed, staring down at the ground, "Jennie is someone who I absolutely love. She's one of the closest friends I have, and I wish we could be more than that but..." she trailed off, pocketing her hands in the black leather jacket Jennie had bought her, "I know she'd be happier if I helped her out with Seungha. Hell, I was the one who suggested she ask Seungha to that carnival,"_

_Kahei looked up and surprised, "Really? That was you?" Lisa nodded and sighed. "...why are you helping her if you'd prefer to be with her? I mean, I'd never recommend this,"_ Certainly not anymore... _Kahei thought to herself, "But surely, if you're in such a position, it would be far easier to sway her over to you?"_

_"It would, but..." Lisa sighed contently before looking over to Kahei, "Her happiness is my happiness. I'd much rather see her be happy and with someone else than see her 'settle' for me," Kahei nodded, smiling._

_"You're a mature individual... anyways, thank you," Kahei said, turning around to talk off, but she felt the blonde grab her wrist._

_"H-Hold on, what are you gonna do?"_

_"I hate to break it to you, but I'm going to do a little matchmaking between those two," she said as Lisa sighed with a sad smile._

_"Hehe... Jennie would love that," she said, letting go of Kahei's wrist. Kahei sent one last warm smile before running off down the corridor. Lisa let out a sigh, walking down the corridor with a lowered head and dejected look._

_=======_

_Seungha sighed, sitting in the middle of her bed in her room. It was dark out and Yongsun had already left to go hang out with her new girlfriend, Seungha mused with the fact that Yongsun had already become so obsessed with that girl. She laughed. She'd never really felt feelings for someone before. Maybe it's just who she was, maybe she had just not met the right person. Or maybe she had..._

_"Ha! Wow, what would dating any of my friends be like?" She thought to herself, "I can barely imagine it..." She sat up and stared at the TV in her room. The programme was boring and monotonous, she could barely stand to watch any of the boring channels. She sighed and turned on her phone, wondering if anyone had messaged her._

_**JenJen:** _ _Hey guys! Learnt the carnival is on for a few more days!_

_**Handong:** _ _I'll see if I'm free for the next few days_

_**JenJen:** _ _Cool_

_**JenJen:** _ _ Seungha _ _?_

_**Seungha:** _ _Hmm idk_

_**Seungha:** _ _I'll see ;)_

_**Seungha:** _ _* :)_

_**Jennie:** _ _Yay_

_Seungha sighed to herself. She was bored. Very bored. Her eyes stayed glued to Jennie's contact name. She smiled to herself, and pressed it and then the option to call her. Almost immediately, Jennie answered._

_**"Seungha! How are you?"** _ _She asked as Seungha chuckled._

_"Could be better... Ugh! I'm so bored, Jen!" She said, throwing herself back into her bed. She could hear Jen giggle from the other line, bringing a smile to Seungha's face._

_**"Hm... wanna hang out?"** _ _Seungha stared out the window and laughed._

_"At this time of night?"_

_**"I'm not scared... I know you'll protect me,"** _ _Seungha didn't notice it or ignored it, but she felt her face get slightly warmer._

_"Well- get a coat. Let's head to the park, it isn't far from either of our homes," she said._

_**"Fine, but stay on the line,"** _ _Jennie said as they both rustled around, looking for extra layers to wear outside in the cold air of the night. Seungha threw over a dark teal coat with fur lining the hood, taking a look out of her window over the city. She could see the park just a while away. She smiled,_

_"I'm ready," she said as she heard Jennie from the other side._

_**"So am I,"** _

_=======_

_**"So... why did you call me?"** _ _Jennie asked as Seungha sighed._

_"If I'm honest... just been very bored," she said, walking down the streets with her phone to her ear. She could feel the warmth her coat provided contrasting with the freezing air that made contact with her gloveless hands. "God, I should've brought some gloves..." she muttered as she heard Jennie sigh._

_"_ _**Don't worry, I brought some spares with me!"** _ _She said as Seungha smiled._

_"Heh, you're always looking out for me..." Seungha mused as she heard Jennie dramatically gasp._

_**"Excuse me? You're like, always looking out for me! You're like some sorta guardian angel or something!"** _ _Jennie said as Seungha chuckled._

_"Still, I feel like I owe you. You pack a spare lunch in case I forget mine, you always buy me candy after school, you get me all sorts of gifts... god, if we weren't friends I'd assume you were trying to court me," (Little did Seungha know, Jennie muted herself for a while to frustratedly shout before unmuting herself and speaking), Jennie giggled. "Seriously, what do I need to do?"_

_**"Datemeandbemygirlfriend,"** _ _Jennie rushed out. Seungha thankfully didn't catch it and asked her what she said. Jennie sighed,_ _**"...You just being my friend is enough for me!"** _ _She said as Seungha chuckled._

_"Wow, didn't know you could be so cheesy... and same goes for you," she said, "You just being my friend and there for me when I need you is a thousand times better than some jewellery and chocolates... although I do appreciate them. Seriously, Yongsun thinks I have a sugar mommy or something," Jennie laughed loudly at that. It was also then when Seungha looked up, standing beside the gates to the park. Opposite her, Jennie smiled and declined the call._

_She walked over and handed Seungha a pair of deep blue gloves as the other girl thanked her._

_As the two walked through the large black, steel gates, Jennie turned to her friend and noticed the bothered look on her face. Jennie hummed, "Something the matter?"_

_Seungha sighed, "No... yes," she admitted as Jennie shot a curious look. "It's to do with Yongsun- my housemate and friend,"_

_"Oh? Do tell," Jennie said with an intrigued smile._

_"Ugh, it's just so... boring now," Seungha muttered, "I mean, all Yongsun does is hang out with her girlfriend all day and not me, her friend! I've known her longer than_ _**she** _ _has," She said, saying the word like it was so disgusting to say, "But I'm the one who's left alone? Ugh," Seungh complained as Jennie rolled her eyes with a smile._

_"What, are you jealous or something?" Jennie asked with a little hesitation._

_Seungha scoffed, "I'd rather chew my own foot than date Yongsun... I just feel so much more bored now at home,"_

_"Well... you're always free to call me if you're bored. I'm always free to spend time with you, you know," she said, smiling sweetly as Seungah smiled back._

_"Thanks... you know, part of me thinks maybe I should get a girlfriend," she said. Jennie's eyes widened as she awkwardly coughed, "But then again... I wouldn't be able to spend time with you," she said, turning her head to face Jennie. Jennie looked away, her face burning red, but a small smile was present._

_Seungha sighed contently as the two walked down the red-bricked path of the park, green hedges and trees surrounding them, the street lamps a warm yellow hue, the moon above and the stars barely visible. Jennie slipped her hand into Seungha's and moved closer to the girl's side, resting her head against her. Seungha, who was caught off guard by this, looked over to the girl with a surprised but not unwelcoming look. "What are you doing?" She asked, half-laughing._

_Jennie pouted, "I'm cold," she whined, "My coat isn't too thick and you got the better gloves," Seungha rolled her eyes but pulled the girl closer to her side as they walked through the park. The two were silent but enjoyed the other's company. For Jennie, this was the closest she'd get as of now and for Seungha, she didn't know why but simply enjoyed it._

_"Oh... aren't you two cute?" Someone said as Seungha turned her head to see an older couple looking at the two of them. "Oh, I'm just so glad times have changed... I don't care who it is, I always love seeing little lovebirds find each other and have those happy times," one of them said as Seungha chuckled awkwardly._

_"Haha... we're-" She began, trying to correct them but getting cut-off._

_"Oh, we'll be on our way now, don't worry. I hope you two have a good time with each other," the other said as the two walked off. Jennie shrugged and continued to walk, Seungha suddenly feeling awkward._

_"You... didn't correct them?" Seungha asked, a little confused._

_"Pfft, I don't see the big deal. They were happy seeing it, I wouldn't want to break it to them," she said nonchalantly turning her head away from Seungha. She may have sounded nonchalant and cool about it, but her face held an expression of fear, wondering what Seungha was going to say._

_"But... we aren't together," she said as Jennie bit her lip, fighting off any other emotion that wanted to show itself. She exhaled slowly, letting any sadness, anger, confusion or denial fade away as she turned around and laughed._

_"God, you make it sound like dating me is the last thing you'd do... fine, if you say so," she said, lifting her head as Seungha's eyes widened. She laughed awkwardly again._

_"Pfft, that's not what I said. I'm just stating a fact, I didn't say I wouldn't want to date you or that dating you would be bad..."_ Wait... _Seungha thought as Jennie's eyes widened and she turned around, letting go of Seungha's arm._

_"Are you saying you'd like to date me?" Jennie asked as Seungha stayed silent, struggling to find her words._

_'Would I? Would dating Jennie be so bad? But I've never dated anyone, plus romance is just... but... Jennie is also just... why am I so confused? It's supposed to be simple right? I've never liked anyone before, why am I suddenly so unsure?' Seungha had no immediate answer, Jennie lowered her head in confusion but shook it, not concerning herself with those thoughts. She looked up and smiled._

_"I'm just messing with you. Come on, let's go get a bite to eat," she said, shooting Seungha a smile before walking off. Little did Jennie know, that smile alone sent Seungha's heart spiralling into confusion as she followed the girl. The two had gone to eat at a fast-food joint, and while all seemed fine, both girls were panicking on the inside, neither truly knowing if the other had feelings for them or would also like to date them._

_=======_

_"Hey umm..." Kahei began, unsure of how to handle or even discuss this topic with Seungha. She sighed, collecting her words before continuing, "Did something happen between you and Jen?"_

_Seungha paused, she stopped walking and turned to look at Seungha. It was now their lunchbreak and Seungha had decided to not only avoid going to the place where they all usually go but also decided to avoid the group in general. Kahei was the only one able to speak to her, and even then it was tough getting the girl to open up. Seungha sighed, letting out a drawn-out breath before her head drooped._

_"Yes... sorta," The girl leant against the wall behind her, Kahei mimicking her action as the girl thought back to last night. "Things were... boring. I was at my house and... was bored. My housemate was out with her girlfriend," Kahei mused at how Seungha scoffed, "And... I called Jen. I decided to hang out with her, and then..." She trailed off._

_"Then... what?" Kahei asked as Seungha sighed once more._

_"...She held my arm... leant against my side... walked with me in silence... it was quiet... just the two of us," she explained, "Felt... calming... and then this couple showed up," Kahei tilted her head in confusion as Seungha sighed. "They thought we were a couple and well... I don't know. That idea... messed with me,"_

_"Do you... not see Jennie in that way?" Kahei asked as Seungha shook her head._

_"Well yes, but... also no," Seungha sighed frustratedly, "Like... I've never wanted to date anyone, hell, when I first met Jennie it wasn't like that. It wasn't like that for weeks but... these past few days, things have been... different," Seungha lowered her head as Kahei put a hand on her shoulder._

_"Hey, things are confusing for you right now," she explained, "And there's nothing abnormal about being confused about who you are or who you like or whether or not you even like anyone that way. What matters is that you recognise how you truly feel. What was before, what happened before... none of it matters," Kahei said as Seungha looked away._

_"What do you mean?" She asked as Kahei hummed._

_"Things change... people change, feelings change," Seungha looked back at Kahei, "Everything changes. Some things don't change, maybe the way we view those things change though. Just because you didn't like her before doesn't mean you don't like her now. Your feelings are valid," she explained as Seungha nodded slowly. "Take time, Seungha. Take all the time you need," Kahei said._

_As soon as she said that, Seungha looked over to see Jennie and the others running over. Jennie stopped, hands on her knees as she was panting for breath. She sighed and looked up with a concerned look on her face._

_"Oh my god, Seungha! I've been looking all over for you!" She began, "Oh I was so worried, I just hadn't seen you all day and then IwasworriedIdidsomethingwrongand-" Seungha laughed, cutting Jennie off. She put a hand on the shorter girl's shoulder and smiled._

_"Hey, I'm fine now," she said. She saw the way Jennie smiled at her, and the way her heart skipped a beat when she saw it. She smiled back, a warmer feeling in her chest- a feeling of realisation and even perhaps, acceptance._

_'Oh my god... I like Jennie...'_

_=======_

_"Hey, Jen!"_

_Seungha called out to her friend as school finished and the two were walking out of the gates. Jennie turned around, seeing her friend smiling at her and walking over. Jennie tilted her head in surprise confusion. With a small and curious smile, she asked, "What is it Seungha?" As the older girl caught her breath. Seungha's face turned a light pink as she averted her gaze and awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck._

_"Well... you see..." Seungha began, coughing slightly in her fluster, "I was just wondering if..."_

_"If...?" Jennie asked as Seungha sighed._

_"Well, a few days ago you asked about that Carnival and..." Seungha was mentally yelling at herself. How hard was it to tell the girl you admire that you want to go on a date with her? Jennie still had that small and adorable smile that made Seungha's heart beat like crazy in her chest._

_"And..?" She asked, that small smile growing. Seungha couldn't help but feel at ease, feeling any concerns and anxieties melt away as she could only smile fondly back. Maybe smiling at Jennie as Jennie smiled back was one of Seungha's favourite things to do, even before she realised she liked the girl._

_"...do you wanna go today? Maybe, I don't know... like a date?" Seungha asked. Seungha watched as Jennie's body shook with excitement as the shorter girl jumped up._

_"Yes! Oh my god, this is amazing!" She squealed as Seungha chuckled lightly at the shorter girl's amusement. She checked her phone, wondering what time would be best for the two to go out. Jennie noticed and immediately spoke up._

_"Oh um- Let's do it later tonight! The carnival goes on for a while and I have to head to a meeting with that fucking secretary now," she said, "She's so weird... and mean," she sighed, only to then squeal with excitement again, "Ah! I can't wait for our date!" She said, skipping away as Seungha watched with a growing smile and warmer feeling inside of her. Kahei walked next to her._

_"Well... this'll be fun," she commented, smiling at the two. Seungha chuckled._

_"Yep... of course, it will be... I'm going to be on a date Jennie..." the girl said as Kahei groaned._

_"Maybe I shouldn't have helped you, now you two are just going to be cheesy romantics," she complained as Seungha laughed, turning to look at her friend._

_"Have fun being the third wheel!" Seungha said as Kahei pouted, "Doesn't Handong have a girlfriend too?"_

_Kahei sighed, "Her name's Minji... you've all abandoned me!" Seungha laughed as Kahei had a small smile on her face, not even being mad at all and just entirely happy all her friends have now found happiness with newfound romantic partners._

_=======_

_Jennie sat in the middle of a large office that the secretary had access to. The entire point was now and then, Secretary Park would call Jennie in and the two would go over things such as how to run a company and some of the company's history. Secretary Park would also often give her own 'advice' as Jennie saw it. She couldn't lie, despite how cold the secretary was, she did feel good being praised by her and being told she was above others._

_Jennie didn't see it as a bad thing, just her building up the girl's confidence. Besides, this attitude got her mother where she is now, right?_

_Regardless, that didn't make these days any less boring for Jennie. She sighed, throwing her head back as Secretary Park showed her the company's financial records from last year._

_"-and these are the... are you even listening?" She asked as Jennie sighed. The secretary scoffed, "Honestly..."_

_"Look, no offence, I've got other things to be excited about today..." she muttered as she texted away on her phone, uninterested. She giggled at a message that Seungha sent her. The secretary raised a brow and extended her hand. Jennie gave her an odd look._

_"...what?"_

_"Who are you texting?" Jennie rolled her eyes at the question only an intrusive parent would think to ask. She scoffed._

_"As if it matters," she said. Secretary Park kept up her steely cold glare as Jennie sighed. "A friend... we're going on a date later," She explained, "Although... I doubt you know what that even is," The secretary let out an offended scoff as Jennie smirked. A few quiet minutes passed as the secretary sighed._

_"You don't have time to be dating,"_

_"I have plenty."_

_Secretary Park scoffed once more, "God with all that scoffing I wonder how anyone puts up with your condescending attitude..." Jennie muttered._

_"What's his name?" The Secretary asked, "I don't see what any of you see in boys..."_

_"She is called Shin Seungha and she is my best friend... although hopefully, that changes," Jennie said. Secretary Park's eyes softened when she saw Jennie's excited and even hopeful expression. Not only that... but the surname..._

_"Shin... as in a daughter of the Shin corporation...?" Jennie thought for a second and nodded. Secretary Park then pulled an entirely different change. She threw the dull papers off of this desk. "Listen to me Jennie Kim- you are going to make this girl your diehard lover and have her fall head over heels for you because you are perfect for her. Forget all this, go and prepare for your date now, I'll help you pick out an outfit and a suitable gift," she said, getting up._

_Jennie shot a look of surprise at the woman. She wondered what caused the sudden change... was it the fact Seungha was a Shin? Her excitement? The fact it wasn't a boy? Regardless, she wasn't complaining. Secretary Park was young, well-dressed and had almost everyone in the company fawning over her looks. Jennie knew her advice would be amazing... maybe this night would be even better than she could ever imagine..._

_=======_

_About half an hour. It had been about half an hour since both Jennie and Seungha had begun their date. Seungha hadn't spoken much- she wasn't exactly used to romantic feelings and didn't know the first thing about what a good date is. But based on how Jennie was smiling, laughing and seemed to be enjoying herself, she thought she was doing fine._

_The carnival was at a coastal town, so the two had to catch a bus over there. Regardless, the two found themselves greatly enjoying the bustling and vibrant environment. The scent of salt from the nearby sea mixed in with the sweet scent of baked goods as well as the sizzling sounds of fried food being made. People were dancing, talking and were having as much fun as they could. However, Jennie and Seungha found themselves in a clothes shop nearby, opting to have a quick look around before joining in on the fun._

_The store was busy, with the carnival bringing in plenty of customers to see what the store had to offer. Jennie was busy looking through the clothes racks to find anything that caught her eye and to put inside her bag, which was already beginning to have clothes spill out. Seungha didn't know the first thing about clothes and fashion but seeing Jennie appear so happy and confident just made her happy._

_"What about this?" Jennie asked, holding a blouse by the hanger. Seungha smiled._

_"I think the colour would suit you," Jennie nodded, holding it in her hand. As she walked towards the changing rooms to try it on, she paused and turned around. Seungha was surprised when Jennie giggled. She pointed a finger at her._

_"You smiled," she grinned as Seungha looked away with a pink tint on her face._

_"Why does that matter?" She asked as Jennie smirked._

_"You hate clothes shopping, yet you've been smiling this whole time," she said triumphantly as Seungha sighed. She then smiled, walking closer to Jennie._

_"Well... it's impossible to not be happy... I'm getting to see you be happy," she inched her face closer to Jennie's, "And that's enough for me," she said. Jennie's face turned bright red from the proximity alone and immediately backed away, covering her face._

_"S-Shut up..." she muttered, embarrassedly. She gave a small smile and sighed, "I'm gonna go try this on, make sure to tell me what you think," she said as she walked off. Seungha smiled as she walked off. When she got in, Seungha turned around and gasped._

_"Did... did I just flirt?" She asked herself in confusion._

_=======_

_"Aw come on!" Jennie huffed as she failed once again. The two had managed to find a few carnival stands to play games at. Seungha watched as Jennie tried once more to win that snow leopard plushie she was desperately trying to get. Jennie sighed defeatedly when she still couldn't get it. Seungha raised a brow to this before stepping forward, deciding she would try and get it._

_"H-Huh?" Jennie said, "Wait, you don't have to-" she began as Seungha smiled._

_"Nah, besides, looks fun," she said as she picked up a ball. "So, what's the aim of the game again?" She asked as the stand owner smiled._

_"Well, young lady, you've got five multicoloured hoops," he said, pointing to five rings, each one a different colour and in their own separate rows, a large target behind them. "And they're constantly moving! The aim of the game is to try and throw the ball when they all align and hit the target!" He said. Seungha raised a brow._

_"This game sounds hard," she commented, throwing the ball into the air and catching it in the same hand._

_"Well, they move at different speeds. Each speed has its own set of prizes you can get," he explained, "Three speeds- slow, medium, fast and very fast! Your girlfriend was trying to get the snow leopard, which is in the fast set," he said as Seungha nodded._

_"Well, I guess I'll try," she muttered. As the rings all began moving side to side fairly quickly, Seungha waited. Jennie looked between Seungha and the rings, wondering if she'd be able to hit the target behind the set of rings in front of it. Seungha sighed, and in a split second quickly threw the ball right as the rings aligned and hit the target. Jennie's eyes widened as the stand owner whistled._

_"Whoo! You've got some talent, I'll give ya that!" He said as he handed her the snow leopard plushie. Seungha then handed Jennie the plushie and smiled. Jennie shook her head and smiled._

_"I was trying to win it for you anyway," she smiled, "Guess there goes an attempt to try and do something for you," she sighed as Seungha shook her head. She put a hand on Jennie's shoulder._

_"Please, how many times do I have to say it? Just you being here with me is enough," Jennie's face tinted pink as she smiled. The stand owner looked between the two and smiled. He looked back at the prize pool and picked out another plushie. He handed it over to Jennie._

_"You two are just adorable, not often I get people that like each other as much as you do," he said, "Just take this," he said, handing Jennie a plushie of a pink puppy. She smiled, thanking the stand owner as the two walked away. Jennie looked over, seeing Seungha carry the plushie in one hand and her other hand free. She smiled, slipping her hand into Seungha's free hand. Seungha looked down and then back to Jennie, who was looking ahead of her and continuing to walk. Seungha smiled, and looked in front of her two, walking beside her._

_=======_

_The pair walked out of the nearby cinema, both sharing an annoyed groan as couples around then lovingly looked into each other's eyes. The two had heard that due to the festival, the cinema was having a sale in snack prices which made it all the more enticing to go see a romance film by the name of "The Album" that Jennie's friend had supposedly recommended her. The two, however, found the film far from pleasant._

_"God, I felt like falling asleep," Seungha complained as Jennie nodded._

_"Seriously, what was Rosie thinking? 'Best Film Of The Year'? It's so dull!" Jennie said. Seungha sighed annoyedly._

_"I... I just don't get it? They barely knew each other when they met, why was she so hung up over him?" Seungha rolled her eyes, "I'll never understand romance,"_

_Jennie nodded, "Although... the ending?"_

_Seungha smirked, "I'll give you that- the part where she realised she loved her best friend?"_

_"Those two were so happy together by the end of it... kinda sappy, but at least it made me feel something other than the drivel that was the rest of the film," she muttered as Seungha nodded. "I guess Chae just really liked the ending,"_

_"Yeah... that ending..." Seungha said, staring at Jennie for a moment. Jennie noticed and immediately looked away with her face blushing furiously._

_"W-What is it?" Jennie asked as Seungha looked ahead of herself, a similar pink shade on her face._

_"I-I guess... that ending sorta resonated with me?" She said as Jennie's eyes widened as she looked back to Seungha. Seungha awkwardly coughed as Jennie raised a brow. Seungha sighed._

_"I guess... the idea that you may have liked your best friend for a while... a-and didn't realise those feelings until later, until after some questioning, were true... sorta feltlikemeandyou-" she rushed out as Jennie stared astounded at the girl._

_"You... how long have you felt this way?" She asked, somewhat curious. Seungha sighed, looking away._

_"I don't know... it was a while and then I sorta just... recognised that maybe I liked you more as a friend? It was all..." Seungha sighed, "...confusing. I've just, never liked anyone like that before..." she said, walking ahead slightly. Jennie paused for a moment, before running up to the girl and back hugging her. Seungha, surprised and flustered, began to trip over her words._

_"I-I-I... w-what-"_

_"Shhh... maybe things are confusing for you... maybe you don't know how you feel... but in the end, whatever you feel is valid and good. I'm just glad you seem to be enjoying yourself," she said, resting cheek against the girl's back. Seungha felt her hands wander to Jennie's, which were tightly wrapped around her waist. She smiled._

_"Maybe that film wasn't so bad," she chuckled._

_=======_

_"Aaand Strike!" Jennie cheered as the bowling ball knocked down all the pins. She turned around, beaming at Seungha who clapped for her and was smiling back. The two had found a bowling alley and Jennie had been eager to have a bit of fun. So far, Jennie had been scoring all sorts of high scores. Seungha, on the other hand, was struggling. The girl walked over and picked up a ball, ready for her turn._

_Jennie walked over, "You know... something tells me you've never done this before," she said as Seungha sighed with a smile._

_"Yeah... parents never really took me out for fun," she sighed. Jennie frowned, "I know I'm bad but... doesn't hurt to try," she smiled, walking over. She readied herself, took a stance and rolled the ball. She and Jennie kept their eyes on the rolling orb, watching as it... fell into the gutter and completely missed._

_Seungha groaned, throwing her head back as Jennie shook her head. She walked over and put a hand on the taller girl's shoulder._

_"Hey, I wasn't the best at this when I started... I was terrible," she said, as the two walked over and sat down. "But... I got better," she said, the happiness clear in her voice with a hint of what Seungha could only assume to be nostalgia._

_"How?" Seu_ _ngha asked as Jennie smiled._

_"Well... sure, I was bad, but my parents made sure I was having fun and helped me here and there... plus my friends," Jennie began, "Oh my god, they were so nice! They helped me get the ropes of this and understand how to play well... When I came to this school, I left a lot of them behind. But... the ones that I have now, I'm glad they're still with me,"_

_Seungha nodded, "Friends..." she chuckled, "God, a lot of my friends left me years back..."_

_Jennie nodded slowly, "Right... I'm sorry about that-"_

_"Don't be," Seungha said, cutting her off, "It isn't your fault they left me... Guess I don't have anyone else to blame for it... it was kinda my fault-"_

_Jennie shook her head, "No it isn't. They were rude and overall didn't deserve your friendship. Besides, you've made way better friends now,"_

_"Yeah... after a few words from someone, I guess I wanted to feel what it was like again," she smiled, "I hope it's going well,"_

_Jennie smiled, "Well, Kahei and the others really seem to like you. I see why as well, you're kind, respectable, confident, amazing, beauti-" Jennie looked up to see Seungha smiling at her with a pink tint on her face. Jennie felt her face heat up as she looked away and smiled. "Besides... even if they don't..." she slipped her hand into Seungha's, "You've always got me," she said, resting her head against the taller's shoulder._

_=======_

_Seungha walked outside of the bowling alley, staring at her phone and the message on it. It was from Kahei and had told her to meet the pink-haired girl outside. She didn't even know Kahei had come to the carnival. She looked around and spotted a girl leaning against the wall. The pink on their head told Seungha that this was her friend. Kahei turned her head and smiled at the girl._

_"Hey, Kahei," Seungha said as Kahei nodded. "What are you doing here?" She asked as Kahei hummed to herself. She didn't want to appear weird for following them, so she came up with an excuse._

_"Oh well, I was here visiting with a friend and heard you and Jennie were also here... I spotted you earlier so I thought it would be nice to catch up," she said as Seungha nodded. "Um... if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here?" She asked as Seungha's face turned a faint pink._

_"W-Well... me and Jennie are sorta..."_

_"On a date?" Kahei (fake) guessed. Seungha nodded as Kahei smirked to herself. "That's nice... I was wondering when you'd ask her out,"_

_Seungha chuckled awkwardly and turned away, watching as many people laughed and chattered amongst themselves. Her eyes honed in on a young couple, the two laughing and embracing together. Kahei followed her line of sight and noticed one of them hand the other a gift. Kahei smiled and turned back to Seungha, seeing the girl smile as well._

_"You know..." Seungha began, "I may be new to all this romance stuff but... is it bad I like to imagine me and Jennie like that?"_

_Kahei smiled, "Not at all," she assured, "In fact... what's stopping you?" Kahei asked as Seungha was taken aback._

_"W-what do you mean?" She asked as Kahei smiled._

_"There's a nearby jewellery shop... I'm sure Jennie would appreciate anything from there," she said, handing Seungha the business card of the shop, which just so happened to have the location written on it. 'Jeon Jewellers- a vivid collection of jewels of every variety!' Seungha stared at the card._

_Seungha laughed awkwardly, "But... isn't that a bit too much?"_

_Kahei hummed in thought, "Maybe... but not everyone is the same. It seems like you and Jennie have fallen fast and hard for each other. I wouldn't be surprised if Jennie had a gift for you too. Besides, I'm sure Jennie will be happy either way,"_

_Seungha sighed but then smiled. The idea of giving something to Jennie on their first day out was out there but, the idea of seeing Jennie be so happy and smiling filled her with an overwhelming warm feeling in her chest. She smiled, "You know... that doesn't sound like a bad idea," she said. She turned to Kahei, "Thanks, really," Kahei smiled. "Anyways, shouldn't you be with your friend?"_

_Kahei awkwardly chuckled, nodding as she was about to turn around._

_"Ah wait! Would it be cool if you and your friend could like... keep Jennie busy?" Seungha asked. "I'll explain to Jen I have to go somewhere, you just keep her here so that we can meet up somewhere once I have the gift,"_

_Kahei chuckled, "Sure, I'll let my friend know," she said as Seungha nodded and walked inside back in the alley. Kahei leant against the wall and sighed. She found it humorous how a lot of her friends were beginning to have partners. And yet here she was, by herself. She amused herself with the idea of her meeting someone and falling as hard as the others did in love. Just as she was thinking, someone tapped her on the shoulder._

_"Hey... you look sorta lonely... you good?" She asked. Kahei was honestly at a loss for words. The person she was speaking to... they blew her away simply with their looks. Their hair, their casual yet cute outfit, their voice, their eyes and that adorable look of concern on their face. Kahei collected herself and simply chuckled._

_"I'm fine... you?" She asked as the person leant against the wall beside her and sighed frustratedly._

_"Not really... ugh, my younger sister abandoned me to go hang out with her friends," she said as Kahei giggled. The other girl turned around and smiled at her, a faint tint of pink on their face._

_"Well... two of my friends are on a date," she said. The other girl sighed._

_"Damn, you're third-wheeling?" She asked as Kahei shook their head._

_"It's a bit of a funny story actually... kinda awkward too..." she said, Kahei beginning to realise how weird following the two out here must've been._

_Just then, Seungha walked out of the bowling alley and spotted Kahei and some other girl next to her._

_"Oh- you must be Kahei's friend?" Seungha asked. Before Kahei could embarrassingly explain everything to either of them, the other girl spoke up._

_"Yep! My name is Haseul- yours?"_

_"Seungha," she said. The other girl seemed slightly taken aback._

_"Oh my god- as in_ _**the** _ _Shin Seungha?" She asked excitedly as Seungha chuckled._

_"You go to our school?" Seungha asked as Haseul nodded. Seungha turned to Kahei, "Wow, surprised I haven't met your friend sooner," she teased as Kahei laughed awkwardly. "Anyways, see you around Haseul," she said, running off to the shop as Haseul turned to Kahei._

_"So... I've got time... wanna explain that awkward story?" Haseul asked the embarrassed Kahei who only laughed in response._

_"Let's just say, 'the Shin Seungha' isn't the most romantic person around," she laughed. Despite the fact they had only just met, Haseul was so willing to go along with Kahei's little plan and also seemed to understand this idea of two friends who you know are good for each other and just not knowing it. She also hadn't recognised Kahei as 'Viian' but she wasn't complaining, she'd rather not talk to this amazing girl about how she used to be their school's cruel number one._

_Oddly, Kahei found an odd sense of happiness when talking to Haseul. And whilst she may not have known it, the feelings were certainly mutual and let's also just say that Haseul wasn't entirely clueless on who Kahei really was._

_=======_

_Jennie sighed frustratedly. She was happy to see Kahei and even happier to see Kahei making friends outside of their group, but was annoyed that Seungha had to leave somewhere and had asked to meet up near the beach. She looked down and across, seeing the beach outstretched in front of her as she stood behind the railings. The beaches were closed for the night as fireworks were planned to be launched._

_The sky was already beginning to darken as she sighed. She looked at the box in her hands- it was a dark blue, and inside held a necklace she was planning to give Seungha. She had especially picked it out for the girl. She mused at how Kahei read her like a book and knew she would have something like this. She thought about how amazing it would be if Seungha had also bought her something... but she didn't want to get her hopes up._

_Besides, Seungha just being there was enough for her._

_As she was growing impatient, a pair of hands covered her eyes as a familiar voice quickly said, "Guess who?" Jennie giggled. She turned around and met eyes with Seungha. The two smiled at each other, a pink tint on both of their faces. Seungha put an arm around Jennie's waist as they walked towards the railings. Seungha looked down at the beach and then up into the sky._

_"Fireworks, huh?" She asked as Jennie nodded, resting her head against the girl's side._

_"I think it's a nice way to end the day..." she hummed. The two stayed like this for a moment, before Seungha sighed, removing her arm from Jennie's waist and turning to face the girl._

_"Hey... Jen..." Jennie felt a strong sense of uneasiness grow inside of her._

_"Yeah?..." she asked as Seungha sighed._

_"I want to make it clear what is between us," she said, sighing. Jennie felt her body begin to shake with fear as her grip around the box tightened._

_'This is normally the part where I run away, too scared to be rejected... but, I'd hate it if I didn't hear everything she has to say...' Jennie thought._

_"Jennie... I... definitely like you," Seungha admitted eyes closed, "Certainly as friends... but... these past few days, I... something's been changing. I don't know when or why it happened but... I couldn't see you as just my friend anymore," Jennie's heart skipped a beat, "It wasn't until that day in the park, where the couple thought we were together in that way... I guess it opened my eyes to that possibility..."_

_She sighed, "I've never felt this way towards anyone before... and... I'm glad you're the person I feel it towards. You're so... amazing. You've made me so happy, you've shown me that I am capable of being a better person than my parents wanted and that I am in control of myself... you've shown and helped me see so many things... I owe so much to you..." Seungha said as Jennie smiled, her eyes beginning to water._

_"So..." she began, "I bought this for you," she said, revealing a bright red box. Jennie took it and opened it carefully, amazed to see what was inside. A delicate and intricate silver necklace, with a red, heart-shaped jewel at the centre. She couldn't help but be amazed at how the light around them made it glimmer and shine. She threw her arms around the other girl as Seungha felt her face heat up quickly._

_"Oh... oh my goodness..." she said, letting go of the girl. "Seungha, I- it's amazing!" She said as Seungha watched the girl she liked... no, loved, smile at her gift. Jennie then laughed, "Oh... god, I guess we aren't all that different,"_

_Seungha raised a brow as Jennie giggled and showed Seungha the blue box, Seungha, perplexed and filled with an optimistic curiosity, opened it. She then realised what Jennie meant. The two had both gotten very similar necklaces, but whereas Jennie's had a large red heart, Seungha had three blue hearts at the centre, the outer two being smaller than the large one in the centre. Jennie had also bought an additional silver bracelet, matching the one she bought a few days ago except this one was gold in colour and had a white snowflake-shaped jewel at the centre._

_Jennie's face was a blushing mess as she spoke, "Seungha... you said you owe so much to me but... I owe a lot to you. I'm only as strong as I am now because you believed in me, I'm only as confident as I am now because you believed in me. You... you saw something in me... and you still do. You're one of the best friends I have... and I've been waiting a while for us to be more than that,"_

_Jennie hummed, "I don't remember when I began to like you, but I remember how hard I fell for you," she chuckled, "I couldn't just see you as my friend... I could only see you as my crush, someone who I felt so strongly about... I fucking loved you so much... and I'm just... so happy... that you love me too," she said as Seungha smiled, putting her necklace on. "You do love me, right?"_

_Seungha smiled and took the necklace she bought for Jennie and help put it on the girl. "More than I ever could imagine," she said, leaning her forehead against Jennie's. Jennie wrapped her arms loosely around Seungha's neck as the two smiled. The bright fireworks flared in the distance, lighting up the sky as people cheered and awed at the colours. But Seungha and Jennie didn't need those fireworks to be amazed and in awe. They only needed to look at each other._

===

Seungha covered her ears as both Jiwoo and Choerry let out high pitched squeals after she retold the story on how she and Jennie fell in love. Both had stars in their eyes and kept telling her how cute and adorable it all sounded. Seungha awkwardly chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck. As the other two continued to ramble, Seungha noticed a perplexed look on Olivia's face. She turned to the girl,

"Hyejoo? Is something the matter?" She asked as Olivia sighed.

"It's just... you two sounded so happy, I just- how can you two hate each other this much now? What did she or you do?" She asked as Chaewon nodded.

"Yeah... something doesn't exactly add up," she said as Seungha sighed. Sooyoung shot her a look.

"You know... you don't have to tell us," she said as Seungha shook her head and chuckled.

"Nah... I'm supposed to tell you guys the full story, aren't I?" She said as Choerry and Jiwoo now looked their way. "I guess... I might as well tell you guys how it all ended," she exhaled slowly, trying to collect her thoughts. 

In truth, Seungha didn't have all the answers herself. The whole experience seemed odd and out of nowhere, she wished she knew why Jennie did the things she did or what lead her down that path. She hoped it wasn't anything she did, but she wasn't all too confident in herself. 

"I guess... I don't know, something changed in Jennie... that's what lead to all of it to begin with," She began.

===

_Jennie gave Secretary Park a curious and intrigued look. The two had been getting along far better. She was still confused as to why she wanted to make sure Jennie and Seungha were doing well as a couple. She speculated on a few reasons. Today, she wanted to ask._

_Jennie didn't know the secretary well, far from it. All she ever saw from the young woman was cold looks and on the rare chance, an icy glare that sent shivers down her spine. She knew she was powerful, but she was also a mystery. Yet, the secretary seemed to not mind Jennie's presence. Jennie also thought part of the confident and chic charm of the woman was beginning to rub off on her as well. Kahei was quite concerned, but she always was._

_"So..." Jennie began as the secretary looked up, "Is there... any reason you wanted to make sure Seungha and I had a good date? Hell, you still ask me about them from time to time," she said as the secretary chuckled. Jennie smiled, it was rare she saw any emotion from the closed-off woman._

_"Did the ice skating rink date go well?" She asked as Jennie giggled with a slight blush._

_"Yeah... it was great," she thought back to the two's most recent date. It made Jennie giddy with excitement as she remembered how Seungha kept holding her to make sure she never fell and also helped her keep her balance. The constant encouraging words also helped to make her feel happy._

_"That's good..." she muttered, signing a few documents and occasionally typing away on her laptop, the faint yet harsh sounds of the keys clicking._

_"...you didn't answer my question," Jennie pointed out. Secretary Park sighed._

_"I suppose you can get an answer... there were two reasons," she said as Jennie raised a brow._

_"Oh?" She asked as the secretary sighed once more._

_"For starters, this is great for the business. If this relationship ends up becoming long-term, this would be great for both parties and two of the largest businesses working together? I'm sure you can see how this is ideal for both parties," she said. Jennie somewhat deflated after hearing that._

_"Oh..." she muttered. She had hoped there was a more interesting answer than 'Business', perhaps one that lead to her learning more about the mysterious and intriguing individual of Secretary Park. She sighed, she didn't know what she expected. Her mother could read everyone like an open book except her (and of course, Jennie- she could pick up a scent but detecting her daughter's intentions became more difficult in recent times)._

_Secretary Park looked up at the disappointed girl and sighed. "That was only one reason... the second is a bit more... personal," she muttered. Jennie's interest piqued as she looked over at the woman. She was still as unreadable as ever. Jennie wished she had that skill, the girl always struggled to hide her emotions around people._

_"Well... I can keep a secret," she said as the secretary rolled her eyes and sighed._

_"If you're so damn intent on learning why... then fine," she said, putting down the stack of paper documents and closing her laptop. She exhaled slowly, a faint blue aura dissipating around her. Jennie's eyes widened. She could guess what that meant- the secretary just deactivated her second ability- the one that made her so hard to read._

_"When I was your age..." she started, her voice sounding far less void and emotionless. It still had that professional ring to it, but it sounded far warmer than her usual voice, "I loved someone too..." She chuckled, "Interestingly enough, my best friend. She was... amazing," the secretary said, smiling. Jennie was in awe. A **smile?**_

_"God, I was so whipped for her it was insane," she chuckled to herself, "Just hearing her voice sent my heart into backflips, I was so different around her..." she said, her eyes looking happy as she reminisced. However, Jennie spotted as they shifted into a more regretful look, "I just wish I wasn't so... hesitant," she said as Jennie decided to push for a slight bit more._

_"Hesitant... how?" She questioned._

_The woman chuckled sadly, "My dumbass didn't know if she liked girls or not... I never asked, I never tried to find out... I spent so much time worrying about it that I never found out she did," she said, "She ended up getting a girlfriend... they're still married now," she commented. Jennie watched as a blue aura faded over her. Her eyes returned to their cold and void selves as she straightened up._

_"Of course, I don't miss her... not at all," She lied, Jennie could tell, "I do however wonder what could have been... I suppose seeing you actually do what I couldn't, made me want only the best for you... maybe I just didn't want you to go through the same hardship I did," she said, her voice professional and cold. She sighed, opening up her laptop again._

_"Anyways, I need you to see this..." she said, handing Jennie some documents._

_There it was, that silence Jennie was so familiar with. Yet, she felt dissatisfied. It's like she found an entirely different person behind that cold persona, and she wanted to talk to that person so much more. They continued to work in their usual and comfortable silence before the secretary decided to speak up again._

_"You know, for someone so powerful, I'm surprised you're so fond of those lower tiers," she said as Jennie gave her a confused look._

_"Why... why shouldn't I be? I used to be one of them," she said, "I can't help but be a little sympathetic,"_

_The secretary stayed quiet for a moment before speaking again, "Do you think your mother was always so powerful?" she asked as Jennie gave her an incredulous look._

_"No..." she began as the secretary rolled her eyes._

_"Your mother was once in the same position as you were- near the bottom," she said, "But... she rose and crushed any competition she faced and fought all opposition that came her way like you're currently doing," she commented as Jennie stayed quiet._

_"What are you saying?" She asked._

_"You are just like your mother- a good thing, she's a powerful woman. All I'm saying is, your mother was well aware of her power and position. She didn't get where she is now by being kind and sympathetic to every soul; she realised that she had to play smart and decisively. Consider that- don't be afraid to use your powers in ways in which you've been told not to," she said as Jennie pondered over that statement._

_She... wasn't entirely wrong. Jennie was now powerful. So much more than anyone else. In a few months, she would be in her second year. She was powerful and promising, yet... did she act like it? Did she really show and assert how powerful she was? And that idea of playing smart and decisive... perhaps some of the people Jennie detested were actually useful to befriend? From that moment, Jennie began to rethink how she approached everything._

_=======_

_Jennie walked into school the next day as she looked around the halls. Empty in the early hours, most people were probably in lessons and those who had a free hour were probably still sleeping in their dorms or were in the library. That's what she thought at least until she heard the faint aggressive sounds of another student. Intrigued and perplexed, she followed the sound until she saw something... a moment where she would have to be decisive._

_A student, likely a second year, stood over a smaller first-year who was cowering and eyes closed. The older student's fists were glowing yellow as they had an orange aura around their body. The turned around and met eyes with Jennie. Their eyes widened._

_Jennie had to think, what would she do? She could intervene and protect the younger student... or she could allow the second year to continue. In fact... if she allowed them to, she could likely befriend or at least ally herself with older years, people who knew the school better than her and had more experience than her. They would certainly be far more useful than a small first-year who couldn't even defend themselves..._

_Jennie simply shrugged and nodded towards the bully, nonchalantly turning the other way and walking off. The second-year's confusion lead to a large smirk on their face. They turned back to the cowering first year, who didn't even seem to know Jennie had seen the two. The bully laughed as they raised their fist. One of the strongest students saw this... and did nothing. Perhaps those assholes were beginning to be on their side, they thought._

_Jennie looked back to the corner where the incident was taking place and continued to walk off._

_Perhaps this was the moment everything changed._

_=======_

_Jennie rolled out of the way as her friends cheered her on._

_"Come on, Jen!" Seungha yelled as the other student dashed towards Jennie. Jennie summoned her Knight, who blocked the punch with its armoured arm. The red figure then kicked the other student across the arena. As they landed on their side, they began to stand up._

_"Don't let her win!" Kahei shouted as the other student prepared for their next attack._

_**'Current Match: Jennie vs Jihyo'** The holographic display read as Jihyo's body glowed a golden orange hue. She extended her palm and fired an electrifying orange beam. Jennie quickly ran out of the way as the beam slowly moved across the arena as Jihyo moved her arm, trying to chase the girl down._

_**Park Jihyo - Electric Beam Emission** _

_**She can fire searing hot beams of electricity at her opponents. Once her ability is activated, her strength and speed also seem to gain a boost.** _

_Jennie looked behind her, the beam was in direct contact with the wall, but as Jihyo moved her hand, the beam steadily moved along, tearing up the arena walls. Jennie needed to think fast, otherwise, her and the new jacket that Seungha had bought for her were toast. She summoned her Knight again and had an idea. She looked back, she had gained some distance from the beam as Jihyo extended her other hand, ready to fire a second beam to trap Jennie._

_Jennie's knight then kneeled, allowing Jennie to hop on top of it, wrapping her arms around its shoulders. She closed her eyes as the Knight then leapt from the ground and was a considerable height above Jihyo. Jihyo's eyes widened. She hadn't realised, but by firing off one beam and charging up another one, she left herself wide open. Jennie then concentrated as the Knight dove down towards Jihyo, raising it's two blades in front of it. Jihyo raised her spare hand and fired off a beam, but the Knight's two swords somehow allowed it to cut straight through the beam as it still moved towards Jihyo._

_As the knight only got closer, she had two options. Stop firing her blasts and dodge, or try and increase the itensity of her beams. She opted for the former, cancelling out her attacks and dodging as the Knight's two blades struck right through the ground she was once on._

_Jennie smirked, jumping off of her knight and running towards Jihyo. The other girl had practically no time to think as Jennie closed the distance between them and punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground._

_Jihyo tried charging up another beam, but before she could, she felt a foot stand on top of her and the faint sharp tip of a blade. Jennie's Knight stood above Jihyo. The girl sighed, "I concede, Jennie wins," she said as Jennie smiled. Her victory was announced as Seungha and the others cheered. "Hehe... nice game Jen," Jihyo said as Jennie looked back to the girl. She then simply ignored her and walked over to the others._

_Kahei noted it... Jennie would usually be so enthusiastic and would be incredibly nice to the person she just beat. But today (and more recently), she noticed the girl didn't treat her opponents with the same kindness she usually did. Kahei shook her head, she was probably just being paranoid. Old habits die hard, she supposed._

_Seungha ran over and hugged Jennie tightly. "I can't believe it! I was so happy when you became the new number five, but I'm ecstatic you're the new number four!" She said as Jennie giggled. It was true, before her, Jihyo was the fourth most powerful student. But now? Jennie held that title. The two shared loving stares as they connected their foreheads and chuckled together._

_Kahei walked towards Jennie's opponent, "Hey, you did good," she encouraged as Jihyo smiled._

_"Thanks..." she said as a familiar student walked over._

_"Sana?" Kahei questioned as the girl giggled._

_"Nice to see you still come by our store," she said._

_Kahei smiled, "It's one of the best places I've been to," she said as Sana smiled brightly._

_"Thanks! My parents work hard for their business," she said. The three all continued to chat, Seungha deciding not to bother Kahei as she spoke to an old friend. Jennie found herself oddly bothered that Kahei was speaking to her opponent, the one she beat, rather than her. She shook her head, it was no big deal._

_"...am I the only one worried about Jennie?" Sana asked. Kahei raised a brow._

_"What do you mean?" She asked as Sana sighed._

_"I...I don't know, it just seems she's way less nice now. She's a lot more brutal in battle and she doesn't even talk to her opponents after she beats them..."_

_Kahei awkwardly chuckled, "I mean, sure, but it's nothing too serious, right? Maybe she's just going through something," she suggested._

_But in truth, she agreed with Sana. And her suggested idea was more her trying to calm her paranoid nerves than to disagree with the idea that something was amiss with Kahei's friend._

_=======_

_Kahei sighed as she walked through the corridors of the school. Needless to say, a few days later and her mind was still thinking about that day. Was something really different? Kahei had always been so thankful to both Jennie and Seungha, so the idea that one of them was potentially heading down a path she was all too familiar with worried her immensely. She just prayed that in this instance she was wrong._

_But it wasn't just that battle... only yesterday, Jennie had been annoying the number three, Irene, until she challenged Jennie to a battle. Irene was strong, but even Kahei knew Jennie was going to win. She was moving fast up the ranks... maybe that's why she was concerned? Just old habits she still wasn't over? Or maybe she was right to be fearful, Jennie had been particularly malicious that day._

_Not only that, but her friends... after a mysterious argument, Handong and Kahei had both noted that Elkie and Tzuyu were nowhere near as friendly with the four anymore. It left the other two perplexed, just what had happened. Kahei was meaning to ask Seungha about it. She had already asked Jennie, but the girl assured her it was fine and that she shouldn't worry herself. In her thoughts, she accidentally bumped into a student._

_Thankfully, neither had fallen over. Kahei rubbed her head and looked to the student. "Sorry about that," she said as the other student laughed. Kahei's eyes widened._

_"Haseul?" She asked as Haseul's eyes widened._

_"Kahei?" She said as the two smiled, "Wow, I was wondering when I'd see you around the school,"_

_"Yeah..." Kahei smiled. She still couldn't get over Haseul's smile... she had no idea why, but just seeing the girl made Kahei completely forget about her concerns over Jennie. She couldn't help but feel herself smile brightly whenever she saw her. "Um... if you don't mind me asking, when did you join the school?"_

_Haseul raised a brow and laughed, leaving Kahei a little confused. "Kahei- I've been a student since the beginning of the year," she said as Kahei's eyes widened. She felt her face heat up._

_'Stupid, stupid, stupid...' She repeated to herself in her head. She laughed awkwardly, "O-Oh, sorry," she replied as Haseul shook her head with a smile._

_"It's fine," she reassured, "Besides, as our number one, you were busier than other things," she said as Kahei's eyes widened. Haseul noticed and realised what she said._

_"Ah... yeah, I kinda did know who you were on that day... sorta. I just didn't feel like we needed to talk about who you once were... just who you are now, and what you were doing," she said, "Besides, I had a lot of fun that day," she admitted as Kahei smiled, a faint pink tint on her face._

_"Really?" She asked._

_"Yep," she smiled. The two stayed quiet for a while until Haseul spoke up again._

_"You know... before you started going by Kahei, I thought Viian was a nice name," she said, "A really pretty name," 'For a pretty person' Haseul thought to herself._

_"...thank you, that means a lot," Kahei said, giving Haseul a genuinely warm smile. "I guess... you can call me it if you want?"_

_Haseul shook her head, "Nah, that's kinda a disservice to you and your new self!" She said. Haseul hummed in thought for a moment before gasping with an idea, "Vivi! I'll just call you Vivi," she smiled triumphantly as Kahei giggled._

_"Vivi... I like that," she said. Just then, Vivi felt a buzz from her phone. She took it out of her pocket and read the message._

_**Seungha:** Kahei! You're gonna miss Jennie's fight if you don't hurry up! _

_Vivi rolled her eyes. If she was honest, seeing Jennie might not be the best idea now... but perhaps she could observe her a little more closely now._

_"I'm sorry Haseul, I have to go now," she said as Haseul nodded. As Vivi began to walk off, Haseul turned around._

_"Um- wait!" She called out. Vivi stopped and turned around. "Um... wanna have lunch some time?" She asked as Vivi giggled._

_"Sure, I'll be happy to have lunch with you," she said, as she continued to walk off. Vivi didn't know why, but part of her wanted to take that new name in stride. And Haseul... she didn't know why, but the girl was just so damn funny and cute to her. She still thought back to that day at the carnival. Haseul really helped Vivi enjoy herself that day with her endless abundance of jokes and stories. The girl was incredibly funny and for some reason, Vivi felt inexplicably wanting to talk more to her._

_=======_

_Jennie summoned her Knight as Irene's eyes began to glow a faint pink. Vivi sprinted into the stands and sat down next to Handong and Seungha. She sighed as she looked ahead, seeing both girls stare at each other. Irene seemed to display anger and rage, whilst Jennie seemed confident and sure of herself. Vivi knew that Irene had a strong defence stat and that she was incredibly intelligent and collected. But she also knew that Jennie was not someone to just challenge- the girl was trained by Seungha after all._

_"Nice of you to make it... Vivi," Seungha said, smiling, "We got your message- I like the new nickname," she said as Vivi smiled._

_"Thanks, that means a lot," she said as they turned to the arena. Soon, with the sound of a blaring horn, the match began._

_Jennie's knight lunged forward, bringing its sword down onto Irene. Irene acted fast, as a pink bubble appeared around her._

_**Bae Joohyun - Forcefield** _

_**She can create and generate barriers to protect herself. She can also use them in more creative ways that most don't even think of. They make her an intelligent opponent to fight, giving her much control over the battlefield.** _

_Jennie scowled as Irene smirked, her defence protecting her from Jennie's blade. The sword was raised again and came crashing down on the shield. Again, nothing. Irene crossed her arms and yawned._

_"You know, I can do this all day," she said. Jennie rolled her eyes._

_"Really? No, you can't, you aren't that powerful," she said, "Your shields can be broken through and the damage is reflected onto you,"_

_"True..." Irene said, "But by the time you break through it, I'll have already tired you out," she said confidently._

_As Jennie shouted, her knight lunging towards Irene again, Vivi turned to Seungha._

_"So... Seungha, there's something I wanted to ask you," she began as Seungha turned to face her._

_"Hm? What is it?" She asked as Vivi sighed._

_"How come Elkie and Tzuyu don't talk to us anymore?" She asked as Seungha rolled her eyes. Now, this interested Vivi._

_"Oh, those two. Did they say something?" She asked as Vivi shook her head. "Just curious?" Vivi nodded._

_"Yeah... I've been meaning to ask too," Handong said, looking over at the two. Seungha sighed as the two gave her questioning looks._

_"It sorta began as something weird..." she said, muttering, "Elkie and Tzuyu were trying to tell me all sorts of things that Jennie was doing... stuff like ignoring bullied students or making rude comments about lower tiers... obviously that didn't sound like Jennie at all," she said, watching the battle in front of her, "So, I asked Jennie about it. She said she hadn't done any of that, and speculated maybe Elkie and Tzuyu were maybe just intimidated by her rising rank... I was confused," She muttered as both Vivi and Handong looked at each other before back at Seungha._

_"One thing lead to another, and they stopped talking to us in general," she said, sighing._

_"Huh... did you not at least not look into what Elkie and Tzuyu said?" Seungha gave Vivi a confused look._

_"Why would I do that?" She asked, her annoyance clearly present in her tone, "I believe Jennie, she wouldn't lie to me..." she said, staring back at the battle._

_Vivi looked back too, it was clear much had progressed. Both parties were tired and worn out. Irene's glare intensified as her eyes glowed pink once more. She extended her hand, the others realised she would create a new forcefield. "But, why?" Handong asked, "Jennie isn't even attacking her," she said in a confused tone. Vivi's eyes widened as Jennie was soon trapped in a force field. Not only that, but it seemed to get smaller._

_"She's trying to trap Jennie, it'll basically force her to concede," Vivi muttered as Seungha watched the battle with wide eyes._

_"No... come on, Jen," she said to herself as Jennie watched the forcefield shrink and close in on her. She was losing space quickly and needed to think quickly, otherwise, she might actually lose this fight. Jennie concentrated for a moment and was able to muster up only part of her Knight- a single red, armoured arm with the sword ready in its hand. Jennie smirked to herself as she concentrated yet again, as the sword thrust upward, trying to break through the shield before it trapped her. She smiled as a crack formed in the shield._

_Irene's eyes widened as the sword moved again and again against her forcefield. Eventually, with a sound akin to shattering glass, the forcefield broke in that area. This was enough to throw Irene off of her concentration, as the rest of the forcefield broke along with it. Jennie walked out of the shattered remains of the pink bubble and towards Irene. Irene sighed, she was far too tired to even fight now. "Fine," she muttered, "I-" before she could, Jennie kicked her in the stomach, causing her to keel over onto the ground. Whilst she was down, Jennie smirked and kicked her on her back again and again._

_"Huh... she's certainly enthusiastic..." Vivi muttered as Handong nodded._

_"Well, Irene is a tough opponent. A smart one too. Jennie's probably just... making sure she's won this," Seungha said. Neither Handong nor Vivi bought it but decided to let it slide as Jennie laid a foot on top of Irene's back. After a few quiet moments, the system announced Jennie as the winner and the new number three. Seungha and the others ran down towards the arena. Seungha smiled at Jennie._

_"Wow... you're now in the top three!" She cheered as the two laughed together._

_Jennie looked over to Vivi, who was walking towards them, "Hey! Vivi! Come over here and heal me will ya?"_

_"Irene, are you alright?!" Irene's friend, Seulgi, said as she ran to her friend's side. Irene struggled to get up, quite thoroughly bruised and beaten. Jennie rolled her eyes._

_"If she didn't wanna get her ass beaten, she should've kept her mouth shut," Jennie said as Vivi walked straight past and over to Irene. Her eyes glowed a soft pink as her hands did too. Irene soon felt all her pain alleviate and dissipitate as her wounds and bruises healed. She thanked Vivi who then turned back to Jennie. As Vivi began rewinding her wounds, she looked at the girl._

_"You know, you didn't have to kick her ass like that," Vivi said, "She was already down,"_

_Jennie rolled her eyes, "I'm stronger than her. This isn't weird, just how things are," the words that Vivi was all too familiar with threw her off her guard, "Besides, she shouldn't have challenged me if she didn't want to get her ass kicked,"_

_"Still..." Vivi muttered, "There's a limit to how far you can go Jen..." she said as Jennie rolled her eyes. Once Vivi was done, she scoffed and walked off._

_"Hey..." Seungha said, "Could you not be so harsh to her?" Vivi's eyes widened._

_"I'm being... harsh?" She questioned. Handong seemed to have a similarly confused face in the background. "I was just saying- she probably went too far-"_

_"Look, Vivi, no offence, I don't think you're one to lecture people on how far they go with their power," she said. Now that, hurt. Vivi was so focused on reworking her image to better herself. She had moved away from using her power to remain on the top and having to keep order, she had tried so hard to change, especially with Seungha's help. So having one of the girls who helped her change so much, tell her this? It stung. Vivi looked down at the floor as Seungha walked off. Handong walked over to her friend._

_"Vivi? Kahei?" She asked as Vivi sighed to herself._

_'What is happening..?' She thought to herself as she watched Seungha walk off._

_=======_

_Jennie thought to herself as Seungha was getting their trays of food at the counter. The two decided on a quick fast-food date before heading back to Jennie's house for a study session. She thought back to her earlier moment with Vivi. She sighed, twirling her straw around in the milkshakes they had already ordered._

_"She hasn't exactly been on my side..." she muttered to herself, "And she probably asked about Elkie and Tzuyu... Handong had tried to ask me again earlier about that incident..." She looked back to the counter which was on the other side of the store; it appeared as if Seungha was trying to correct an order or something. Jennie gave out a grunt in annoyance, muttering at the incompetence of the place. She noted to not come here again._

_"God, they'd be pissed off if they realise what I said... right?" She realised, "I mean, I wasn't lying. Elkie's low level was disappointing and definitely damaged our image. Seungha sided with me, thankfully. Although... based on the fact she was more content with trying to say I didn't say those things and never would... sounds like she hasn't realised the truth,"_

_The 'truth' that Jennie was referring to was an idea that had been growing ever since she had that conversation with Secretary Park. "Powerful people always stay on top..." and a newer idea she had come up with herself, "The idea that the weak and powerful are equals is a naïve idea... and apparently I'm the only one so far willing to grow up..." she muttered sadly._

_She just didn't understand. She wasn't lying when she said all those things to Elkie- the strong shouldn't have to associate with the weak and the strong must always stay on top. Those who don't understand this need to be taught it. Whether that was with getting beaten in a fight, or what people referred to as 'bullying' was the thing she knew Seungha was going to disagree with._

_"She just doesn't understand... she'll learn eventually, but I can't let anyone else get to her first," she murmured, watching Seungha laugh. She felt those earlier concerns disappear at just seeing her girlfriend smile, "I love her... and she loves me," she said, "She'll understand me eventually... but I can't let anyone take her before that," she said to herself as Seungha walked over. Jennie smiled brightly at the girl as Seungha smiled back. As Seungha placed their meals down, they both began to eat._

_Things were going great in Jennie's eyes- she and Seungha were laughing, smiling and overall enjoying each other's presence. However, things began to deter when Seungha stopped laughing for a moment, appearing to be thinking about something that seemed to bother her. Jennie shot a concerned look towards Seungha, who realised and sighed._

_"It's just... I feel like I should apologise to Vivi," Seungha said._

_"Really?" Jennie asked, confused. Seungha stared at Jennie with a confused look._

_"Haha... you know I didn't say the nicest thing to her..." she said as Jennie realised that she needed to be careful how she worded this._

_'If Seungha apologises, she might side with her in the future... I need mistrust between them if I want to keep Seungha by my side...' she thought to herself as she thought for a second, "I mean, do it if you want, but... Vivi is your friend, she knows you were probably just a little heated," she said as Seungha slowly nodded, "And honestly? Maybe it was what she needed to hear..." she said, a thought slowly forming in her head. Mentally, she was smirking at her intelligence._

_"Hm?" Seungha asked, confused and concerned, "What do you mean?" She asked. Jennie sighed._

_"Nothing, it's... probably stupid," she said as Seungha shook her head and placed her hand on Jennie's. Jennie felt her face heat up by the contact._

_"Jen, it isn't. You can tell me, I'll even keep this a secret between us two," she said._

_'And I've done it,' she thought, "Well... you know how Vivi once was all worried because we were climbing up the ranks fast and she felt just the tinciest bit threatened?" she asked as Seungha nodded, "Well... I'm worried-" 'Not at all,' she thought, "-That Vivi is falling back into old habits... maybe what you said is what she needed to hear, a reminder that she isn't her old self anymore and that these old habits need to be broken," she tried to argue. She knew how stupid her whole argument sounded, but it was the type of thing Seungha would listen to and believe right now._

_"Yeah... I guess I'll see when she arrives for that study session later," she said. Jennie nodded._

_"Ugh, I can't believe her- why does Professor Sera keep giving us these assignments? I love the woman- notasmuchasIloveyou-" she quickly said, Seungha catching on to it and smiling, "-But she needs to relax with them," she muttered as Seungha laughed, nodding._

_Jennie smiled, it appears they've been able to move on and that maybe she'd be able to keep Seungha at her side as much as possible._

_=======_

_Vivi sighed as she scrolled across social media on her phone. The session was beginning to bore the three girls- the assignment was mostly complete and they knew they'd ace their test. Seungha was reading a spare book Jennie had on her shelf, Jennie was busy watching a video on her laptop and Vivi absentmindedly scrolling. Until Jennie's account popped up with a new photo with people she recognised. After checking who Jennie had tagged, Vivi raised a brow._

_"Hey, Jen," she said as Jennie nodded._

_"Hm?" She asked as Vivi sighed._

_"It's just... do you hang out with these guys?" She asked, showing Jennie the photo._

_"...from time to time, yeah," Seungha now looked up from the book, opting to stay silent and see what the two were about to say._

_"Yeah... it's just... do you know some of the stuff they've done?" She asked as Seungha raised a brow. Now this made her curious._

_"Like...what?" Jennie asked as Vivi sighed._

_"It's just... I remember these guys back when I was still going by Viian," she began, "They used to pick on people a lot... I've heard they still do. I used to turn a blind eye to it, but I step in whenever I see it now," Vivi said as Jennie nodded. "It's just... I'm worried as to why you're hanging out with them," she said._

_Jennie sighed, "If they really do bully people, then they have some explaining to do. I wasn't aware of this and you both know I don't stand or associate with bullies," she said as Vivi nodded, "But... I can't help but wonder, don't some of them... kinda have it coming?" Jennie asked as Vivi raised a brow to this._

_"Um... no?" She said, "I don't think anything justifies bullying people," she said._

_Jennie hummed in thought, "I see it less as bullying, maybe more as keeping people in line. You know how some lower tiers get, they think they can talk so much shit but they really can't walk the walk at the end of it," she said, "It's just a fact that we're stronger than them. We deserve a little respect because of it,"_

_Before Vivi could say anything, Jennie interjected, "I mean, look, if someone around your tier was being rude and disrespectful to you, you'd have an issue with it, right? So what's wrong with doing the same to these guys?"_

_"But it isn't just that though..." Vivi said, "Those guys just pick on anyone and when a lower tier calls them out they're unjustly picked on... we have a responsibility with our power to a) not bully those weaker than us and b) step in whenever we can. We aren't better than them, we're equals," Vivi argued. Sensing a brewing tension, Seungha entered the argument._

_"Well... I think you're both right," Seungha said. Vivi gave her a confused look whereas Jennie smiled at the girl, "Like, we all agree bullying is wrong, and... I sorta get where Jennie is coming from," Seungha said half-heartedly. Vivi could tell, based on how unsure she sounded when she said it. But Jennie seemed more than pleased. "And Vivi-" But before Seungha could finish, Jennie cut in._

_"Well, isn't that nice?" She said, "Anyways, I wanna show you guys this one video- it's hilarious..." She said. Seungha was more than glad to drop the argument and Vivi meanwhile felt more concerned as she sat beside Jennie. She knew Seungha agreed with her, but with how Jennie seemed to phrase her argument and how she cut Seungha off, it seemed more like Jennie wanted her girlfriend to agree with her. Not only that, but it seemed like even Seungha didn't want to disagree with her._

_=======_

_Doubts swirled around in Vivi's mind as she walked along the corridors of the school with a sigh. The conversation from a few days ago still stuck with her. She knew something was up with Jennie. She was never one to say any of these things, so for her to say it all unprompted all of a sudden concerned her greatly. She was beginning to wonder exactly what Jennie was doing associating with these people._

_She also considered the idea that maybe, it wasn't her place to ask or question. Jennie could make friends with whoever she wanted and in the end, maybe the things she heard were just rumours and that these students were no longer bullies. This was the answer she hoped for. She really did not want to tackle or even address the possibility that one of her closest friends was potentially one of these bullies... no, Jennie wouldn't. After all, she loved Seungha and she knew for a fact that Seungha would never endorse any of this._

_She sighed, right now she had no idea what to believe or what was true and what wasn't. However, perhaps a certain event today would bring her out of her confusion and bring light upon a certain idea that Vivi dared not to consider._

_A cry. It all started with a cry for help._

_Vivi's eyes widened as she ran off towards the voice. Great, just what she needed. A bullying incident as she pondered the idea if her friend was a bully. Vivi rolled her eyes, when were these events going to stop. She eventually arrived and... paused. She hid behind a corner._

_She slowly reared her head around the corner and her eyes widened. Jennie was there, standing above some poor new student. Beside her were a few students, some that Vivi recognised from that photo from a few days ago and one more. Jennie's friend, Lisa. They all stood menacingly above the small and cowering student, all snickering and throwing around insults about the girl's outfit, their appearance, their level and so much more. Vivi couldn't believe this._

_She needed to help but... she really did not know how to help them without making things tense between her and Seungha in the process- she was well-aware who Seungha would rather side with. She exhaled slowly._

_"Hey, Jen," she said, walking over. Jennie's face paled as she soon scowled. She slowly exhaled and turned around with a smile._

_"Vivi!" The small student's eyes widened as she heard Jennie call out to her friend, "How are you doing?"_

_Vivi sighed, "Good, but I think the more important question is- what are you doing?" She asked her stare soon becoming a harsh glare. Jennie's fists clenched. Mentally, she was panicking. She knew that Vivi could kick her ass in under a minute- if they fought, it was no contest. She needed to play smart._

_She sighed, "You know, I knew you'd never approve of this," she said._

_Vivi rolled her eyes, "Yeah, who knew I wouldn't be proud of the fact that my friend is a bully?" She said sarcastically as Jennie scoffed._

_"As I said- bullying is so misleading," she began, "I prefer calling this," she gestured to the poor student who was injured and even seemed to have rude words written over her face in marker pen, "Keeping them in line,"_

_Vivi scowled, "You know damn well that Seungha wouldn't be happy about this- and I know damn well you love that girl more than anything," she said. Jennie looked down to the ground. Vivi was right. She hit the nail on the head, Jennie knew Seungha would hate this. It's why she was covering up._

_"Seungha... just needs a bit more time before she can grow up and realise that her adorable yet naïve idea isn't how things work in the real world," she said, "The strong are on top, and the weak are beneath us- come on Viian, I expected you of all people to understand that," she smirked as Vivi's anger only risen. Jennie was wondering if she could taunt Vivi into attacking her, but Vivi exhaled slowly._

_"I've moved past that Jennie... I've done it for a reason," she said as Jennie scoffed._

_"God, you were so much cooler," she said. "Ugh, I can't be bothered, we'll talk later, 'kay?" She said as she and her group walked off, "Bye-bye," Vivi sighed and walked over to the poor student. Their hands were shaking._

_'Poor girl...' Vivi extended her hand. The student stared fearfully at it for a while and eventually accepted the help up. Vivi helped walk the injured student towards Doctor Hoseok's office. When Vivi knocked, they were let in. Hosek began preparing for a tonic to help heal the student as Vivi found a rag and some soap to clean the girl's face. As she was doing it, she smiled and asked for the girl's name in the most gentle voice she could muster._

_"It's Yeri," The doctor called out, "She's usually more talkative but I guess she was really shaken up by the event,"_

_Yeri chuckled, "It isn't every day two of your old friends kick your ass in the hallways..." she muttered as Vivi gave her a curious look._

_"Friends?" She asked as Yeri sighed._

_"Jennie and Lisa," she said, "The three of us were all close, but Jennie said something about 'the weak being beneath her'... after I called her out on it, she freaks out and gets some people to attack me..."_

_Vivi sighed, "Something's up with her," Vivi said as Yeri nodded._

_"Yeah... Jennie's been odd for a while now... I guess it reached its peak recently. It started with ignoring complaints of bullying, sometimes siding with the bullies. Then she started looking down on all of us, and eventually, she's became one of the bullies," Yeri said. Vivi's eyes widened._

_"How long has this been going on?" Vivi asked, "The bullying," she clarified._

_Yeri thought for a moment, "Hm... honestly, probably for a while. I sorta ignored it for a bit, guess that explains why I'm here," she said. Vivi looked down to the ground, rubbing her arm. Yeri shook her head._

_"Hey," she smiled, "This isn't your fault... God, you are so like Haseul..." she muttered. Vivi looked over._

_"Haseul?" Vivi said, "I know her," she said. Yeri smiled._

_"Yeah, she's told us how happy she is that you've taken up that nickname she gave you," Yeri said, "Almost too happy..." she commented._

_Vivi smiled, "Well, I guess I'll have to tell her how much I like it and how cute it sounds,"_

_Yeri smiled, "Yeah... anyway, as I said- you're both pretty similar. Like, why do both of you feel responsible when someone else does something?"_

_Vivi looked away, "Because I could've done something..." she said as Yeri gagged._

_"God, you two really are alike," she muttered, "Well... you're way prettier than that hag,"_

_Vivi raised a brow before chuckling, "I don't know what you're talking about... Haseul is beautiful," she said as Yeri rolled her eyes._

_"Yeah, I know. Just poking fun at a friend," she smiled._

_Doctor Hoseok walked over with a liquid that was glowing a faint light purple colour. Yeri took it and downed the entire beaker before handing it back. Vivi noticed as a few of the minor wounds were already being healed. She smiled as she cleaned the last part off of Yeri's face._

_"Thanks, Vivi," she said, "You know, I've been friends with Haseul for a while. I even work with her at a local store down the road," she said, "You should come around or hang out with us at lunch... Haseul would really like that," she said. Vivi smiled, a faint pink tint on her face._

_"Really? Guess I'd better come," she said. Yeri then gave Vivi a more concerned look._

_"Also... how are you going to deal with Jennie? I know you two were friends and all," she asked as Vivi sighed._

_"I don't know... I don't want to lose Seungha in the process- she's a friend that means a lot," She said as Yeri nodded._

_"Well, I'm sure our number one will figure it out,"_

_=======_

_Haseul sighed, sitting by herself in the classroom, lunch on the desk in front of her. Instead of piling in with other students at the cafeteria or eating outdoors, she always preferred the calm quiet of some of the classroom's. This one in particular usually had a few of the more bookish students, so she didn't exactly expect her little quiet bubble to be burst. Yet, she heard the increasingly loud murmers of the students as someone walked in and stood next to Haseul's desk._

_"Ummm..." the soft voice murmured, "Would it be fine if I sat next to you?" She asked as Haseul looked up. She could recognise that voice from anywhere._

_"Oh- sure! You can pull up a chair or something," she smiled as Vivi beamed and pulled up a chair and sat opposite to Haseul's desk. Haseul felt her heart beat ever so faster with the pink-haired girl's presence. "Didn't expect you to visit me..." she muttered excitedly as Vivi smiled._

_"Yeah... Yeri told me you usually ate your lunch here," Vivi said as Haseul's left eye twitched as a smile stayed plastered on her face._

_"That's... great!" She said as Vivi smiled, already beginning to eat her lunch. Meanwhile, Haseul grumbled. "Stupid brat..." she muttered._

_The two continued to eat, everyone around them still bewildered that Vivi was in this class and having her lunch with Haseul. Vivi noticed._

_"...why are they all staring?" She asked, beginning to feel increasingly insecure as Haseul realised._

_"Oh," she said, her mouth still full of food. Vivi found it charming. Haseul swallowed and wiped her mouth before continuing, "I guess... none of us expected a higher tier like you to be here, with us," she said as Vivi sighed. She looked around and based on their fearful and wary expressions as the girl's eyes hovered over them, she knew they were all lower tiers._

_"Ah..." she muttered, "Am I not allowed here?" Haseul quickly (and vigorously) shook her head._

_"No! No, you're fine!" she smiled as Vivi let out a sigh of relief. "You're welcome to stay," she said._

_Vivi smiled, "That's great!" she said as she continued to eat. Haseul couldn't help but find the way Vivi even ate her food adorable. The small and delicate bites, the little noises she made whenever she found something that tasted good, the way she'd occasionally smile at Haseul now and then. It made the other girl's heart crazy._

_"So..." she began, "Yeri? I didn't think you two would ever talk..." she said, "Did something happen?" She asked in a more worried tone. Vivi thought back to how she caught her friend attacking Yeri, and sighed._

_"It's... complicated," she said. Haseul gave her a worried expression as Vivi sighed, "Well... it's not, but it also..." Vivi just sighed and took a larger bite out of her sandwich. Haseul shot the girl a sympathetic look and smiled._

_"Hey... you can tell me anything," she said, "Any secrets are safe with me!" She said, giving Vivi a large thumbs up. Vivi smiled, feeling her concerns melt away. Vivi let out a drawn out sigh._

_"It's... to do with Jennie," she admitted, as Haseul gave her a look that Vivi couldn't quite read... but she could understand it meant one thing. "You know something?" She asked as Haseul sighed._

_"Yep..." she muttered, "I don't want to be rude or mean about your friend or anything but, Jennie's changed... a lot," she said. Vivi nodded._

_"I could tell... she wouldn't just go around doing these things," Vivi said, "At least, not her old self," the two girls continued to eat in silence, Vivi's mind had thoughts racing in her head. All circled back to one thing, what Haseul must know. The girl seemed in touch with most lower tiers and knew things Jennie had been hiding from her and Seungha. She dreaded to think the number of things Jennie had done and lied to Seungha about... Vivi shook her head and looked up at Haseul._

_"So... um... what else do you know? Could you be more specific?" She asked, "It's just... I saw Jennie standing over Yeri, who was clearly so shaken up by the bullying..." she said, Haseul's eyes widening, "The last thing I want is for any of this to happen again..." she said as Haseul stayed silent for a moment._

_"As much as I dislike Jennie," Haseul mused, that was putting it lightly. But, she felt like she should be a little nicer about the girl if she was with Vivi, "I'm not exactly sure how you're going to handle it... I know you can, but it's definitely gonna cause a rift between you and Jennie," Haseul commented._

_Vivi sighed, "...for the longest time, I was so focused on being perfect. I turned a blind eye to bullying, kept everyone in positions I thought made sense and were 'orderly'. I did all this... and all I ever did was hurt the people who needed protecting the most..." she said, closing her eyes, "And then... it all changed. Seungha and Jennie... they both showed me something... different. It wasn't hate or scorn. It wasn't pride or admiration... it was... indifference yet understanding," she said._

_"I... the old Jennie... she showed me how to use the power I have for better things and Seungha showed me there's more to do and be aside from perfect... they helped me be a better person... this new Jennie is the exact type of person the old Jennie would tell me to go after and stop. I don't wanna hurt Jennie at all... I just wanna put an end to this... if this damages our friendship..." she leaned back in her seat, "I guess it'll be worth it," she sighed. Haseul gave the girl an earnest and honest smile. She reached over and put a hand on the number one's shoulder._

_"...I'll tell you what I know... and thank you," she said, "No one's ever cared this much about us... thank you, Vivi," Haseul smiled. And whilst the two didn't realise it, both of their faces held faint pink tints._

_=======_

_Vivi looked around, eventually finding the classroom she was looking for. She knew that Seungha had history around now and so it was just a matter of waiting for her to leave the classroom so that they could speak to one another. She really wanted to tell Seungha about this, whether or not Seungha would believe her though... Vivi shook her head. Of course Seungha would believe her, what reason does she have to not? She may not like to hear it but it's worth bringing this to her attention._

_As people piled out of the classroom, everyone waving and saying their hello's and hi's to Vivi before the last person walked out. Of course, it was Seungha. The girl had a bad habit of packing her things away later than everyone else. Vivi smiled and asked, "Hey, Seungha, would it be fine for us to chat? Not for long it's just... something happened," she said. Seungha sighed with a smile._

_"I find it great you show all this concern but- I know what happened, Jennie told me," she explained as Vivi's eyes widened._

_"She... told you?" She questioned. There was no way she did. Why would she? Just to expose her worse sides to her girlfriend- who opposed things like bullying or abusing power immensely? Why would Jennie... unless she didn't tell the full story. Vivi realised that was the most likely option._

_"Yeah- apparently you caught Jennie in a compromising position-"_

_"Standing over a student beaten up and surrounded by bullies?" Vivi questioned. Seungha paused and chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck._

_"...sure- anyways, she wanted you to know she was actually just doing what you did, coming over to check on the position. Since you seemed to handle it, she dragged the bullies off somewhere else to deal with them. I know you're worried and everything- but things are fine," Seungha said. Vivi shook her head, she couldn't believe Jennie would lie so... blatantly. Perhaps her friend really was gone._

_"No, Seungha, that isn't what happened-" Seungha sighed heavily, cutting Vivi off and leaving the girl concerned, "...Seungha? What is it? What's the matter?"_

_"Look... Vivi, I think that maybe, just maybe... you're being a little paranoid?" Vivi's eyes widened in shock. She opened her mouth to protest, but Seungha cut in again, "I know, I know. That sounds like something super mean to say. But... you haven't exactly been filling me with confidence and faith. I'm just worried you're falling back into old habits," Seungha put a hand on Vivi's shoulder. "Just... stop being so paranoid about Jen. The girl is fine and just... maybe relax a little? Maybe talk to that Haseul girl? You two seem to get along," Seungha said, walking off._

_"But-" Vivi began. Seungha sighed and turned around, an annoyed glare being shot towards Vivi._

_"Look, Vivi, you're one of my close friends. I really don't want to have to break things off with you but... if you keep up like this, I'm worried you're gonna stop being the friend I admire so much," she said, walking off and leaving Vivi silent._

_It all dawned on Vivi. Things were getting bad. Perhaps, losing Seungha in trying to be the better person she wanted to be wasn't a risk but an inevitability._

_=======_

_Vivi kept her head low as she walked through the corridors once more. Things were easily starting to turn sour. She was spending less and less time with Jennie and Seungha, and in fact, the two seemed to be avoiding her. The only thing that gave her mild comfort was seeing a conflicted look in Seungha's eyes- the girl didn't know who was right. Vivi was scared. Scared massively of the possibility that Seungha decides to side with Jennie. The one who inspired her to become a better person, becoming a worse one._

_She sighed. These past few days, the only comforting person she had was Haseul._

_Haseul..._

_Vivi felt a small smile grace her face just by thinking of her name. She couldn't exactly fully explain it but, by just being near or around the girl she felt at ease and happy. Haseul was everything she wanted to be- kind, caring and gentle yet funny, outspoken and charismatic. In Vivi's eyes, the girl was perfect. She mused at how back when she went by 'Viian', she would have probably hated someone like Haseul or even being near them, yet, she couldn't help but always be happy at any opportunity she had to speak with the girl._

_If she could trust anyone, it had to be Haseul. The girl had been at her side since the moment she began to see Jennie's new, malicious self. She was there to support and lift her. With every minute she was distraught with how the other two avoided her, there were several laughing alongside Haseul. She smiled. The girl just had a warm aura about her. She couldn't wait to talk to her again._

_"V-Vivi!"_

_Vivi paused and her eyes widened. She dashed, pink aura flaring around her as she couldn't believe her ears. That voice... it had to be... not only that but how hurt and pained it sounded._

_"Haseul?!" Vivi said. The scene in front of her shocked her. Jennie's knight was materialised beside her, with Haseul in front of it, her body bruised and arms bloody. She spat out blood and a green aura appeared around her. In a flash, the girl was near Jennie's face, her foot only a few inches away from the rich girl's face. Jennie ducked as Haseul missed. Taking her chance, she had her Knight raise its blade, ready to strike._

_"Oh, hey Vivi, you weren't really supposed to see this but... oh, who am I kidding?" Jennie smirked as Haseul fell to the floor, holding her leg and too pained to notice how Jennie was ready to strike. "Just thought I'd let you see how **your** actions and your silly little idea to even remotely try to challenge me ended up getting your little friend over here hurt," Before Jennie could even try to strike, she felt an intense pain in her side. _

_Not even hesitating, Vivi dashed in and punched Jennie's side hard with her metallic hand. Jennie flew back a few feet and clutched her side, her Knight dematerialising._

_Vivi ran over to Haseul's side, immediately preparing to heal her but she's surprised when she sees Haseul extend a handout and point with the other hand towards where Jennie once was laying on her side. Haseul's green aura flared around her as her wounds slowly began to heal. She steadily helped herself up. "You shouldn't have done that..." she muttered, Vivi, helping her up._

_"Why?" Vivi asked concerned only for Haseul to sigh._

_"She's trying to tear you apart from Seungha... run to her... you've just put yourself in a really bad light..." she said as Vivi nodded and dashed off in a pink blur. Haseul waited for the pain in her wounds to disappear before also running after Vivi. She knew exactly what Jennie was doing. How would Seungha react to seeing her girlfriend hurt by one of her supposed best friends? Haseul already knew the answer to that- these past few days haven't exactly been helping with her image and this would definitely throw Vivi into a terrible light._

_The two rounded the corner, several students beginning to stare as Vivi stared with wide eyes at what seemed to be a furious, yet very upset Seungha. "...how could you?!" She questioned as Vivi stepped a few inches back. "Attack her like this?" She stopped... was she really about to stop and run away? No... she was absolutely done with Jennie at this point._

_Vivi sighed, "Seungha- listen to me-"_

_"No no no, you listen... to **me...** " She said, that last part sounding especially icy to anyone nearby. People were beginning to stare. "I don't know what the hell is going on with you but... I hate it. What's going on with you, Vivi? All of a sudden you're back to threatening anyone who even dares come close to your position? Is that how it is now? You're just back to being your old self now," Vivi's fist clenched. _

_"God... I-I can't believe I was trying to ignore it but Jennie's right! You really are just back to being some insecure, power-hungry bitch!" She said as Vivi was taken aback. Seungha didn't notice but Haseul shot her a glare- she knew damn well that Vivi was far from any of those things and Seungha was in no place to say any of those words that described Jennie far better._

_She chuckled lightly, "Me? I'm the one who's changed?" She asked bitterly, Seungha caught off guard._

_Vivi seemed to wait for a moment, "God... you're so blind. You can't even open your eyes to see what's in front of you. You're the one that's changed Seungha,"_

_"What the hell are you-" she began only to be cut off. Many people were beginning to look on now, seeing the pink-haired girl stare down Seungha and Jennie._

_"You can't even bother to look into why your girlfriend is attacking and hurting people, for what?" Vivi said as Seungha shook her head._

_"Look, those-"_

_"What? Are you going to reply with one of her stupid excuses? That it was 'putting them in their place', 'they attacked her first', 'it just looks bad but it really isn't'?" Vivi said, the anger in her tone only increasing as Seungha felt an odd sense of fear building up in her. "You've changed... you're refusing to look into any of these incidents because you're terrified of the idea you've fallen in love with some maniacal bully who's too caught up in being strong they've forgotten exactly what you both tried to teach me,"_

_Seungha was silent at this point. She was so... confused. By everything. She could barely collect her words to say anything. She knows Jennie is innocent, right? There's no way Jennie would just harm and attack people like that. She's a good person... she knows she is. But... everything Vivi was saying... was practically approved of everyone watching now. She could hear it. The mutters about how right Vivi was, how she was finally standing up to them, how she was a number one that really made them all proud... Seungha had no idea what was right or wrong anymore._

_"Just... why? Why the hell can't you listen to anyone else but yourself and her?" She said, getsuring towards Jennie who shot icy daggers back at the pink-haired girl. "Come on... she's hurt and injured so many people... you can't be letting her get away with this,"_

_The murmurs... the whispers... the talking... it was all too loud. Seungha needed space and time. She needed to talk to Jennie alone. She had to confirm she was right. So, she sighed, collecting her words before uttering her next words with an icy tone that seemed to make the entire corridor drop in temperature._

_"Go..." she muttered, Vivi's eyes widening._

_"Just... go. I don't need... I don't want to see or even talk to you," she said as Vivi scoffed._

_She turned, only to sigh and speak back one last time, "I'll miss you... you were a good person Seungha, I just hope you realise how much of an idiot you're being right now," Vivi stormed right past Haseul, who looked back between the now separated group of friends. The surrounding crowd slowly began to dissolve as Haseul sighed. She couldn't believe it but... those friends really have gone their separate ways now..._

_=======_

_Seungha let out a deep sigh as she leant back against the walls of Jennie's room and sighed. She had decided to head to her girlfriend's house after school. She still couldn't get the event earlier that day out of her mind. She couldn't help but feel... guilty. The things Vivi said... none of them sounded as if they were coming from a place of malice, more of frustration. She sounded pained, frustrated, bothered. She couldn't help but try to consider what she said._

_"Look... Seungha, I know it hurts," Jennie said, staring up from her phone with a concerned look, "But... you shouldn't think about it so much," she tried to reassure her girlfriend who was still thinking about the whole situation. Jennie was worried for more than one reason- she couldn't help but feel concerned that the girl she loved was this worried but was also concerned that Seungha would perhaps learn of the things she was doing..._

_'She wouldn't get it... Seungha is still way too naïve,' she thought to herself. Seungha let out a deep sigh as Jennie decided to get up and walk over to the girl. She leant against the wall beside her girlfriend and looked over at her. She could visibly see the distress and worry in the girl's eyes, an unknowing of what the future held without their once close friend. For Jennie, this was great. For Seungha... this was all confusing._

_Jennie sighed, "None of this is your fault..." she muttered._

_"Sure feels like it..." Seungha replied._

_"No... it isn't," Jennie said, "Look... I guess something we both need to get used to is that... when you become as powerful as we do, people actively start going after you," Jennie stated, "You become an enemy, just another person people hate for being powerful. It's just how things are," Jennie simply stated._

_Seungha shook her head, "N-No... I don't think that's how it works Jen," she said as Jennie sighed._

_"Maybe it is Seungha... we both hated Viian," she pointed out, "Until we were at her level or stronger... the world revolves around power," Jennie stated as Seungha sighed._

_"Do... Do you not miss her? Aren't you upset things have changed this much?" Seungha asked. Up until now, she was sure that Jennie was equally as upset at her. But this entire time... she held an odd thought that... that perhaps Jennie wasn't as distraught as she was at the loss of a friend._

_Jennie knew it too. She had been so obsessed with driving a wedge between Vivi and Seungha, that she had completely grown apathetic to the concept of her no longer being friends with Vivi. For her, she couldn't care less. But now... she realised that Seungha was likely to not take lightly to take that lightly or take it well._

_"I... of course," Jennie said, trying her hardest to sound upset, "She... Vivi was so much to me... to us. She proved to us that not everyone powerful was absolutely lost to that power, that there was a little good in everyone," she began, "And... she was our friend. God, Seungha, she helped us out on some of our dates... she meant a lot," she said. "But... I guess she realised that in the end, the world does revolve around power,"_

_Seungha and Jennie both slid down to the floor, "I guess it's time we realise it too," she said. Seungha shook her head and rested it against Jennie's shoulder._

_"I don't know about that... I just need some time to think about it," Seungha said._

_Jennie smiled, "And that's fine by me," she said, "Take all the time you need,"_

_Seungha had a faint smile on her face as she closed her eyes, "You're the best, Jen," she said. Jennie smiled lightly to herself, feeling her face become ever so slightly warmer._

_"Thanks... I'm trying to be,"_

_=======_

_Vivi sighed to herself. Jennie and Seungha had both practically locked her out of the old secret hiding place... and she couldn't bring herself to go down there. She had tried to find Elkie and Tzuyu but... they seemed happier with their newer friends. Handong had even found a few new friends too. It's like everyone had already moved on from that incident a few days ago and had all agreed to all go their own separate ways._

_Vivi was the only one still yet to adjust. She missed them... all of them. She missed Handong as a close friend, she missed Elkie and Tzuyu's humour and adorableness, she missed Seungha's kindness and Jennie's sarcasm. Everyone had either moved on or changed so drastically... she could barely recognise two of them as the old people they once were. She sighed, did she have any friends? Was there anyone actually willing to hang out with her? A lot of the weaker students still had an inkling of fear and she had already made enemies with the stronger students... was there anyone willing to talk to her?_

_"Vivi!" A warm and familiar voice said. Vivi felt as her mouth slowly shifted into a smile._

_"Haseul?" Vivi said as the girl sat opposite her. She noticed two other students join them, one sitting beside Haseul and another beside her._

_"Hey! How are you doing, bestie?" Haseul asked as Vivi giggled._

_"I'm doing..." Vivi was about to say great, she was certainly feeling better about Haseul being there. But... the events of the last few days had flooded her memories as she sighed. She noticed Haseul and her two friends' concerned stares, so she just smiled. "...great, now that you're here anyway," She didn't notice how both of Haseul's friends stifled laughs at that, nor the deep shade of red Haseul had turned._

_"AHAHAHA!" She laughed loudly and awkwardly, "Hahaha... thanks," she squeaked out as Vivi giggled._

_"It's the truth, really," she said._

_Haseul gave the girl a more gentle and earnest look, "I know what's happened these past few days... I was kinda there," she began, "But... I just wanted you to know that I'm here for you. We're here for you. No matter what. Just... call me if you ever want to hang out or distract yourself," she said as Vivi nodded slowly._

_"Thanks..." the pink-haired girl said shyly as the other two sent knowing looks to each other. Haseul ignored them for a moment, before realising something._

_"Oh!" She said loudly, calling some attention to herself. Vivi raised a curious brow._

_"Oh?" She said as Haseul nodded quickly._

_"I just realised, I haven't introduced these two yet," One of them stood up, the one sitting next to Haseul._

_"Hey! I'm Heejin, Jeon Heejin," she said. "I'm a first-year, Haseul's been super helpful in helping us all- out and one thing leads to another and now we're friends," she smiled. She extended her hand, which Vivi shook. She noted the girl had a... surprisingly deep voice. She had a kind and generally well-meaning aura about her, and she could get the sense that Haseul perhaps wasn't the only helpful one- the girl gave off kind energy about her._

_"And I'm Hyunjin, Kim Hyunjin," the girl next to Vivi said, "I'm Heejin's best friend. I got to meet Haseul over here from her too," she explained, "I've heard about what happened and well... let's be friends! Don't feel too bad over what happened, you were in the right anyways and I can tell you'll be a great number one," Hyunjin said reassuringly. Vivi held a strong positive opinion of the girl from that alone. She could tell Hyunjin had a heart and a positive attitude to match._

_"Like they both said, I was helping a lot of first-years out," she explained, "The Academy can be a little confusing to transfer to so I wanted to make it as easy as possible. I ended up making two really close friends from it," she explained. Vivi nodded and then smiled._

_"Well, that's great!" She said, "It's amazing that you can do things like this, you really are a great person, Haseul," Haseul felt herself die a little from seeing Vivi smile and then compliment her. She felt like she was on cloud nine, and both Hyunjin and Heejin were revelling in it. Unlike Vivi, they were far more aware of Haseul's little crush on the pink-haired top student._

_"W-Well..." Haseul began, "Why don't we all eat? I'm sure you've got some interesting stories to tell, Hyunjin," she said._

_Heejin nodded quickly, "Yeah! Hyunjin's already trying-out for a place on the school's Battle Network Team. She's doing pretty well too,"_

_Hyunjin had a faint pink tint to her face, one that Heejin didn't notice but both Haseul and Vivi did. "Haha... yeah, I think I'm doing pretty good. Thanks, Heejin," she said._

_"Go on then," Vivi smiled, finally feeling an old sense of joy return as she forgot all about that old drama she had with her old friends._

_"Tell me about it,"_

_=======_

_"Could you believe it... that she'd do that to someone..."_

_======_

_For some odd reason, walking through the corridors of her school the next day felt a lot more suffocating than the past few days. Anywhere she went, all eyes were on her. Everyone would stare as she walked past, many even seeming scared of her. To say it unsettled her was... putting it lightly. People would whisper, chatter and talk about her as she walked past and now... things were getting concerning._

_Like today, as she walked through the corridor as she had so many times, people stared at her. Some hiding behind friends, some choosing to look away if she looked at them. Seungha did her best to remain stoic, but if anything that just made people talk more. She couldn't put her finger on why it was, mostly because she refused to listen. Jennie had told her people will talk regardless, so it was best to avoid it. But still... it made her incredibly on edge to even imagine what they were saying._

_"I... it isn't surprising given what's happened but... wow, she really had us fooled..." she heard a student mutter. Seungha stopped. What... what did they mean._

_"Eep! D-did she hear me?" The same person stuttered. Seungha turned to face the voice. Before Seungha could ask or do anything, their friend stepped in front of them._

_"W-Wait! Is it true?" They asked. Seungha gave them a confused look._

_"What do you mean is it true?" She asked, coming across colder than she meant to. She mentally cursed herself for it._

_"I-I mean... did you really hurt your best friend? And if so, what for?" Seungha's eyes widened._

_And just like that... her world stopped._

_No..._

_They couldn't possibly know..._

_Who told them..._

_About that day?_

_Seungha quickly recollected herself and shook her head. "Just some dumb rumour, good idea if you stop spreading it," she said, walking off. But she wasn't walking off to lessons, she was trying to find Jennie. The further she walked, the fewer people there were. She began to walk faster as her breathing rate increased. Her hands were shaking. It felt as if there were a thousand eyes on her, watching her as she began to panic._

_She saw Jennie outside the restroom and immediately walked in and collapsed against the wall. She sat, her knees scrunched up to her chest as she did her best to try and steady her breathing. Her lungs felt like they were about to burst, her heart hammered in her chest. Her body felt cold, but not in the way she was used to due to her powers. It felt sickly as sweat began to form. As she began to rapidly exhale and inhale, Jennie ran in and kneeled in front of her._

_"Seungha?! Are you okay?" She asked as Seungha tried to speak, but the words were caught in her throat as it felt like she choked on any sound that it made. Jennie held the girl's hands, both of which were shaking heavily. "Seungha- breathe," she said as Seungha nodded shakily. They were shaky breaths but worked for Jennie._

_"Okay... okay focus," she said, trying to get the girl's attention, "Count- to ten," she said, rubbing her thumb against the girl's left hand._

_"O-One..."_

_"Good, good! Keep going," Jennie encouraged as kindly as she could._

_"T..." Seungha muttered._

_"Come on..." Jennie said, "It's fine..." she said soothingly._

_"Two..." Seungha said._

_"Great..." Jennie said. The two continued this_ _, with Jennie commenting with short positive statements encouraging Seungha_ _until she reached the number ten. The two were both now sitting beside each other, against the wall of the restroom. The two seemed to be by themselves now. They sat in silence for a moment, before Jennie looked over._

_"Is it fine if I ask some questions?" She asked, trying to sound as sincere as possible._

_"...yes," Seungha said as Jennie nodded._

_"Has this... happened before?"_

_"It..." she shook her head, trying to collect her thoughts, "It used to be way worse when I was younger. But... it's not been like this in a while," she admitted. "It was just..."_

_"Just... what?"_

_"It felt like everyone was watching me... like there was nothing I could hide as if everyone knew all of my deepest secrets," she admitted. Jennie waited a few minutes before asking her next question, choosing to be careful with how she worded it._

_"What happened? Did anything specific cause this?" Jennie asked, "Take your time, you don't have to answer if you don't want to," she added, hoping Seungha wouldn't go into that again. Seungha took a while but eventually responded._

_"They... know," she said. Jennie thought for a moment._

_"Know... what?"_

_"That day... with my friend," she said. "The one I hurt... somehow they knew. I denied it, I didn't want them all to hate me but..." Seungha shook her head, she was so disorientated. "But... how did they know? It took me a while before I opened up to anyone here about that incident," She said. Seungha doubted Vivi hated her enough to spread that rumour, she wasn't as sure about Tzuyu, Elkie or Handong. She hadn't spoken to any of them in a long while, it would not be a longshot to say they decided to say some things._

_"I... don't know," Jennie said, "I've not said a thing, believe me,"_

_"Don't worry... I do," she said, sighing. "I'm just so... so scared, Jen," she admitted, "What else will people learn? Will they know everything about me? I-I... I just wanted to make some new friends... to m-move on from what happened..." Before Seungha could continue, Jennie grabbed and gripped her hand._

_"Hey," she said, "Nothing else will be rumoured or spread. I'll make sure of it..." she muttered as Seungha nodded. "Just... trust me," She said._

_Seungha sighed, "Sometimes it feels like you're the only one I can trust," Seungha said, looking into Jennie's eyes as the girl looked away and smiled._

_Meanwhile, outside the restroom, Vivi had heard it all... she was ready to go in too_ _but noticed that Jennie was quick to try and calm the girl down. She shook her head, she knew damn well that Tzuyu, Elkie or Handong did not hate Seungha at all. They all held issues with Jennie, sure, but none of them would intentionally hurt Seungha from it. Vivi thought for a moment... she hadn't told anyone about Seungha's past, so it really baffled her as to who could've told anyone._

_Vivi nodded, perhaps she would find out who said this. After all, she never hated Seungha, rather the decisions she was making. She knew that if she could figure out who said it, that maybe Seungha would instead listen to reason and realise some of the more questionable things Jennie was doing._

_Perhaps she and Seungha weren't as distant from each other as they both thought._

_=======_

_Haseul followed behind Vivi as she paced around the corridors of the school, indistinct conversations around them as Haseul looked curiously at the now orange-haired girl, who seemed deep in thought. Haseul noted the hot orange Vivi had dyed her hair yesterday, maybe to separate herself from what had happened or to act like a new person. Haseul thought it suited her well and both Hyunjin and Heejin could testify she had not shut up about it since she first saw it._

_"So... what are you doing?" Haseul asked as Vivi looked over, surprised._

_"Oh- umm... thinking," she said, trying to throw Haseul off her scent. She wasn't exactly sure if her new friends would be okay with her still thinking about her old ones. Maybe she shouldn't be concerning herself with Seungha but... something about what had almost gotten leaked seemed odd to the girl. Who did discover it? And why spread it to other people? What would that accomplish?_

_"What... things?" Haseul asked curiously with a smile._

_"Just..." Vivi sighed, "Can I tell you in private? Somewhere less... crowded?" Haseul nodded as she walked ahead. Haseul wondered what had kept the Number One so preoccupied in her thoughts. It was since a recent incident and since that day, Vivi had appeared so deep in her thoughts. She still made time to talk to and get to know Heejin and Hyunjin; Haseul thought it was great Vivi was getting along so great with Hyunjin but couldn't help but feel ever so slightly jealous._

_The two found an empty classroom, the only other people there were Hyunjin and Heejin. Vivi noted it would be fine to tell them too and gestured them over. Hyunjin grinned and walked over with Heejin walking over with a sweet smile that couldn't help but make the rest of them beam happily at her. Once they were standing in front of her and Haseul, Vivi spoke._

_"So... these past few days, something's been on my mind," she said, looking to see if anyone else was around the classroom. After Hyunjin added that no one was, Heejin looked concernedly at Vivi._

_"Is something the matter?" She asked as Vivi sighed._

_"It's... to do with Seungha," Heejin seemed less than pleased but Hyunjin gave a concerned look._

_"Yeah... there's something about her and Jennie that just... rob me the wrong way," Hyunjin commented as Vivi nodded._

_"Right? Anyways," she began, "I... may have overheard one of their conversations and..." she began. She let out a sigh, "I don't wanna say what it is... but-"_

_"-Is it that rumour?" Haseul asked._

_Heejin nodded, "Wait... is it true?"_

_Vivi sighed heavily and the others decided to take it as a cue to give her a little time. Haseul rubbed the girl's back and Vivi gave an appreciative look towards the girl. Vivi took a deep breath out before continuing._

_"Yes... but it isn't my place to tell you. What I do want to ask, is if any of you know who could've possibly said it? I want to find out," She said._

_Heejin gave a confused look towards Vivi. "But... didn't she call you a bitch? Why are you even bothering to help, if you don't mind me asking?" She questioned as Vivi nodded._

_"I know she's been... less than kind to me, but I doubt she hates me. I don't hate her," Vivi said, "I hate some of the decisions she's made and I don't exactly like Jennie at this point, but... I somewhat understand Seungha. But I especially respect how what she told me, that story you've heard a bit about, was something she told me because she respected me and because she trusted me. The fact that someone's just telling everyone... it's an utter violation of her privacy and an affront to her,"_

_The three all nodded. "You're taking this seriously," Hyunjin noted._

_"Yeah... it's kinda... cool," Haseul said, "It's amazing you'd have that much respect for Seungha despite all the things she told you,"_

_Vivi nodded, feeling her face become ever so warmer at that comment, "Thanks..." she said._

_"So..." Haseul began, "I heard it from Heejin and Hyunjin, hm?" She asked the two._

_Hyunjin thought for a moment, "I heard it from... Wendy? I believe? One of Irene's friends," she said._

_"Well... let's track down where this rumour came from," Vivi grinned._

_Wendy sighed heavily, "Sorry Vivi but, I'm not the person you're looking for," she said as the orange-haired student nodded. "If it helps," She began, "Gahyeon was the one that told me, maybe look for her?" She suggested as Vivi smiled._

_"Thanks, Wendy, that's really nice of you," Wendy beamed back._

_"Aw, it was no problem really," she said as Vivi smiled and walked off. Wendy nodded to herself, "Kind, strong, powerful, and the number one... she's an interesting one," she said to herself, humming in thought and walking off. "I'll have to see what happens later..."_

_"Um... it wasn't me either... sorry," Gahyeon said as Vivi nodded. "I mean, I do remember who told me," she said as Vivi looked up. Hyunjin walked over._

_"Could you tell us who?" She asked as Gahyeon nodded._

_"I think her name was... Miyeon?" She said, unsure. "I think they'll probably be able to tell you," Gahyeon said, smiling sweetly. Vivi gave another appreciative smile towards the younger girl._

_"Thank you so much, you're being so helpful," Gahyeon seemed caught off guard by the statement and simply smiled at Vivi._

_"Wow... it's no problem really, I'm happy to help a friend of Handong's!" She said. Vivi herself was caught off guard by a reference to an old friend. She smiled._

_"Thanks,"_

_"-Anyways, that's when I told her to stop being so-"_

_"Hey," Vivi said, interrupting the conversation between Miyeon and some other girl she was talking to. Vivi knew Miyeon, or at least somewhat. She and Jennie were apparently friends- not as close as she once was with her- but good enough friends. Yet, she didn't know who Miyeon was outside of her friendship with Jennie. As she walked over, Miyeon gasped. Did Miyeon dislike Vivi as much as Jennie? Or was she different?_

_"OHMYGODVIVI!" She said, shaking Vivi's hand._

_"Um... hi," Vivi said, caught off guard a little but a small smile making it's way onto her face. Miyeon collected herself and giggled a little._

_"Sorry, it's just... you!" She said, gesturing at her. "Oh wow, I never thought you'd wanna talk with me!" She smiled, "My name is Miyeon, did you know?" Vivi beamed and nodded._

_"I'm Minnie," The other girl said. Vivi nodded, acknowledging she was there. Vivi knew of her as a friend of Lisa's._

_"So... what do you want to talk to us about? I thought you would've hated us because we're... 'friends' with Jennie and Lisa," Miyeon said. Vivi raised a brow at the way she emphasised the word 'friends'. Minnie seemed to have a bothered demeanour to match Miyeon's when she mentioned how they were 'friends' with the other two._

_"What's with the odd emphasis on 'friends', if you don't mind me asking?" Haseul asked, clearly having picked up on it too. "I'm-"_

_"Haseul? We know, you're great," Miyeon said as Haseul smiled, "Anyways... Jennie used to be a really cool person but... she hangs out with us less. I don't know if it's because of our level or if she just doesn't like us anymore but... she's been less like a friend recently and more like an aquaitance," she explained as Vivi nodded._

_"Huh... had anything... odd, happened?" Heejin asked. Hyunjin and Haseul nodded, both agreeing something might've happened._

_"Well... when you put it like that..." Minnie began, "Lisa did come up to us recently,"_

_"Hm?" Vivi asked as Miyeon sighed._

_"It was that dull rumour about Seungha," Miyeon began, "She just came up to us and started telling us about it and..."_

_"Did you tell other people?" Vivi questioned, perhaps a little bit of darkness could be heard and it almost sounded like there was a subtle threatening tone to what she said._

_"No, No!" Miyeon said, "But people overheard and... well, I told one person, and those people that overheard told other people and..." Miyeon trailed off as Minnie continued._

_"These types of things get out of hand... we didn't want it to spread or anything! With how Lisa said it, it was like she wanted people to overhear it," Minnie said._

_"...It's fine, Minnie," Vivi smiled, "I'm really glad you told us, you're going to be a major help and you're so amazing for even bothering to tell us all this,"_

_Minnie smiled, "Oh... heh... thanks," she murmured, caught off guard by the sudden kindness._

_Miyeon smiled, "Vivi, it's no problem, really. Whatever you're going to do to help, it's going to be great,"_

_Vivi beamed back, "Thanks, Miyeon," she said, "None of this is either of your faults," Vivi said._

_As the four walked away, Vivi sighed. "Guess it's time to find Lisa..."_

_It wasn't all that difficult to find the girl. She was resting coolly underneath a large tree in the outdoor dining area. Most students agreed not to disturb her. Haseul noted that Lisa, someone who had once appeared small and meek was now radiating an aura completely different to the one she once held. She appeared stronger, more confident and sure of herself. Usually, she would be happy about this. But knowing the way she's supposedly treated others and become a bully herself... she could only sigh in some sort of disappointment._

_"Lisa?" Vivi asked. Lisa grumbled quietly before opening one of her eyes. She saw Vivi standing in front of her and sighed. She closed her eye and retorted back aggressively._

_"Ugh... go away," she said, clearly bothered at the top student's presence._

_"No, I have a few questions I'd like to ask," Vivi said, not faltering in the slightest._

_Once again, Lisa sighed. She stood up and looked back to Heejin and Hyunjin. "Look, fine, we can talk. I'm not dumb enough to argue with the Number One. But we talk in private, without those... weaklings," she muttered, looking at the three in a disgusted manner._

_Haseul rolled her eyes, "You know, a few months ago and you would've hated someone like yourself right now. Someone so stuck-up and arrogant..." she muttered as Lisa glared at her. Vivi noted how Lisa's hands glowed a hot orange and sparks even seemed to be flying off of them. Haseul noticed too, and stood her ground. This was one of the first times Vivi saw Haseul ready to use her ability offensively, as a green aura coated her arms and green lightning seemed to crackle around her._

_Vivi sighed, "Haseul stays, but..." she looks back to Heejin and Hyunjin, "Are you sure they aren't allowed?" She says, looking back at Lisa. "You have no reason not to let them,"_

_"Look, we either talk," she began, the glow and energy from her hands dissipated, causing Haseul to stand down, "Or we don't. I'll let you bring that Haseul girl, but the first-years can go fuck off," she said, glaring at the two. Hyunjin rolled her eyes as Heejin glared back._

_"...fine," she looked back to the other two, "Are you guys okay with this?" She asked as Heejin and Hyunjin's expressions softened. Heejin smiled._

_"Yeah Vivi, it isn't a big deal," She said, smiling as Hyunjin nodded._

_"Right... thank you," she said as she and Haseul followed Lisa inside. They continued to walk until they were in an isolated corridor. Lisa was sure she could hear no one else. She sighed, putting her hands in her pocket._

_"Okay, what do you want to ask?" She said as Vivi's eyes stared Lisa down. Lisa couldn't deny, she could feel a sense of fear surge through her body, one she hadn't felt in a while since she began training with Jennie and talking with her more often. It was since the two became friends that Lisa dedicated herself to training and becoming stronger. Now, she had gone from a girl who could barely use her powers to one that knew how to use them to the highest degree. That didn't mean there still weren't people she was terrified to fight directly. Seungha and Vivi both being two key examples._

_"Those rumours about Seungha... I've been able to trace them back to you... so, were you the one that started them?" Vivi asked as Lisa scoffed._

_"Why do you want to know? What's it to you?" Vivi held her icy glare as Lisa felt that same surge of fear. She sighed. "Yeah, so what?"_

_"...why?" Vivi asked, trying to think of a reason, "Were you jealous? Why would you spread some sort of malicious rumour about your best friend's girlfriend?" Vivi asked as Lisa chuckled slightly._

_"Please... while you aren't too wrong about the... jealousy thing," Lisa muttered quietly, only to look back to Vivi with a fiery flare in her eyes, "I wouldn't do anything to hurt Jennie. Hell, want to learn something interesting?" She asked._

_Vivi raised a brow as Lisa chuckled, "She **told** me to," she said, causing Vivi's eyes to widen._

_W...Why? Vivi could barely come up with an explanation. Was Lisa trying to trick her? Make her think something that was obviously not true? Or... or was Lisa telling the truth? Was there a more sinister reason? Vivi couldn't fathom it, the idea of Jennie- someone who absolutely cares for Seungha- spreading that piece of information seemed absurd and frankly just outrageous. Yet... perhaps there was a hidden motive to all this. Vivi had to press Lisa for more info. Vivi's eyes glowed a soft pink._

_"Want to add to that?" She asked. Despite Lisa's calm outward attitude, inwardly she was panicking. She didn't know why she said anything like that... she couldn't tell anymore. But at the same time... she also didn't want to have to fight Vivi._

_"Fine," Lisa answered, "Jennie doesn't tell me much about this type of stuff, she usually prefers keeping things on the lowdown as much as possible. A lot of her friends are on a need-to-know basis and I was included... but, she did say a few things. Apparently, she was getting very nervous about Seungha and what she was beginning to think. She didn't want Seungha to think she could trust anyone but her... my guess is, she told me to allow this rumour to spread so that Seungha believes that Jennie is the only one she can ever trust,"_

_Vivi... could barely believe it, "She did that... so that she could control Seungha?" She questioned. Lisa seemed to panic a little._

_"Hey, your words, not mine. Control is such a strong word, Jennie isn't trying to do anything like that..." Even Lisa seemed unsure of it, "She just..."_

_"Needs to keep Seungha in line?" Vivi questioned as Lisa's eyes widened. She noticed Haseul had activated her ability too. Whether it was because they were both angry and their emotions had subconsciously activated their abilities or it was something else, Lisa didn't want to fuel the fire. Lisa rolled her eyes._

_"Whatever, do what you will, I've got better things to do," she said, walking off and disappearing from around the corner. Once she was gone, Vivi looked down to the ground._

_"I... I can't believe she would do something like this..." she muttered as Haseul nodded._

_"I know the girl is messed up but... manipulating her girlfriend like that?" She said, walking over and putting an arm on Vivi's shoulder._

_Vivi looked up, "We have to tell Seungha," she said, determination flowing with her words, "She has to know... Jennie cannot and should not be trusted anymore..."_

_Haseul nodded, but paused. "Vivi... how do we know Seungha will believe us? She already doubted us last time and I was physically injured as well... even when she had proof, she didn't believe us,"_

_Vivi realised this and sighed._ _"You're... right,"_ _she looked to the ground. "I was hoping this would better help me repair my friendship with Seungha or find out why this is all happening but... I think it's just making me more upset that I'm no longer sure how much I can really help," she sighed. Before she could continue, footsteps could be heard from around the corner._

_"Well... it's a good thing we're bad at following instructions," Heejin said as she and Hyunjin grinned, holding something in their hands. Vivi realised it was Heejin's phone. She raised a brow, confused at what they were trying to imply. Heejin grinned, "Hyunjin had the great idea of following you both and filming what happened, in case Jennie tried to lie her way out of it again,"_

_"Yeah... really hit the goldmine of information, huh?" Hyunjin said. Vivi couldn't believe it... she felt a welcomed feeling of joy surge through her body as a small smile made its way onto her face. She couldn't believe that she had friends this intuitive and dedicated to helping her. She gave a sweet smile._

_"...you guys are amazing,"_

_=======_

_Seungha's eyes widened as she turned the corner. She threw herself behind it and slowly peered from the side. She couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing... she didn't want to. Her girlfriend stood above a smaller first year, who seemed to be cowering beneath her as Jennie stood above with a malicious grin. Seungha turned back and hid behind the corner again, still taking in what she just saw. She had come round to see Jennie after her history class but to see her girlfriend picking on a new student outside of the class..._

_"So... have you learnt your lessons?" Jennie asked as the smaller student made quieter more faint noises that Seungha couldn't understand. "Hm?" She asked as Seungha decided to quietly walk off, not intervening in the incident at all._

_Part of her felt immensely guilty but for a variety of reasons. So many questions ran through her head- was Vivi not lying? Why wold Jennie even be picking on a student to begin with? She had alwys known her girlfriend, even before they began dating. Jennie wouldn't do this, she wasn't that sort of person and ever was. Yet... Seungha also felt fear. Fear that perhaps she didn't know her girlfriend as much as she thought she did. That perhaps, there were more secrets she did not even know of._

_Seungha felt a surge of fear; Jennie was the only person she could trust, right? After all, she had no idea who was spreading her secrets around. But, if the person she trusted the most did this type of thing behind her back, who was she to trust? There was an odd nagging feeling in the back of her mind, something that told her she should've helped. That she should've stepped in and done something. Yet, she felt frozen, immobilised by another fear. She loved Jennie and all the happy memories they had made together... did she want to risk losing the chance to never be able to make similar memories in the future?_

_That entire scene alone had made Seungha question so much that she had been told and believed. She was left confused and feeling more isolated than before._

_=======_

_"Seungha!" Jennie called out as Seungha turned around. She smiled at her but that smile soon slowly faded away. Remembering what she saw earlier, it became hard for Seungha to see her girlfriend the way she once did. She was still trying to understand what she saw, maybe it wasn't so bad? Maybe she just misunderstood what happened? Regardless, Seungha did not want to bring this up now- she and Jennie were fine... right?_

_"Hey," she said, trying to push those thoughts and doubts down and insted smiling at her. Jennie grinned._

_"I've been looking for you! I thought you said we'd talk after history," she said as Seungha awkwardly chuckled._

_"I had to see a teacher about something... sorry!" Jennie shook her head and smiled._

_"Well, it's fine! We can talk now... it's something kinda important," she said as Seungha raised a brow._

_"Oh?" She questioned as Jennie nodded. Those doubts surfaced in her mind again, was Jennie about to say or ask something terrible? She tried to push those thoughts back to the depths of her thoughts, pushing them down and trying to ignore their ever-increasingly loud volume. Jennie smiled, putting Seungha at ease for a moment._

_"Well... what if... what if we spread a rumour about Vivi? That you beat her in a fight? That she isn't really the number one?" Seungha's eyes widened._

_"Haha... no?" She said, unsure of what Jennie's response would be._

_"Umm... why not?" Seungha shrugged as Jennie sighed, "Okay look, it's probably her that spread that rumour about you. It's only fair if we pay her back by doing the same thing," Jennie said, trying to convince Seungha. Still, the girl shook her head and denied it._

_"No, we are not doing that. Especially since, y'know, we don't even know if Vivi did it," There was a very clear tone of aggression within her voice, anger and aggression that were only rising. Seungha didn't immediately notice it herself, but Jennie did. She did her best to keep her composure, she could already tell Seungha still held Vivi close to her as a friend and she had tried far too early to pit her against the Number One._

_"Well... see it like this- even if Vivi wasn't the one who told people about that secret, this is still beneficial. Look, Seungha, we both know that you could kick Vivi's ass in a fight- even she knows it. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't deny those rumours because they are true- if you both did fight, it's an easy win for you," Seungha was nowhere near as confident as Jennie was, but she would be lying if she said that she never thought she could beat Vivi in a fight._

_"Why would that be beneficial? At most, it means we should be or are higher in the rankings," Seungha was never one to care about her placement in the rankings, Jennie knew it._

_"Because... I feel like we should both start to care about where we are in the rankings. People are getting confident, Seungha. Confident enough to start spreading rumours and talking bad about us," Jennie stated, "If either of us is the number one? We get that respect Vivi has. It's all about rankings and power in the end... as I said, I think it's about time we both started caring more about that,"_

_Seungha shook her head, "I'm not spreading rumours about Vivi," Jennie scoffed, "Do it yourself if you want, but I do not any part in stopping to however low that person did when they began spreading that secret around," Jennie paused for a moment and sighed._

_"Look... maybe you're right... but we still need a way to get those top placements... I know!" Jennie said, pulling out her phone, "I can schedule a match between us!"_

_"W-what?" Seungha said, immediately being alarmed at the idea of having to fight her._

_"I mean... you don't want to do it via a supposedly underhanded method, right? That's what I'm getting at least," she said, "So if I beat you in a fight, I can go on to fight Vivi- fair and square- and become the new number one,"_

_"And if I win?" Seungha questioned._

_"Well..." Ideally, Seungha wouldn't win. She knew the girl would hesitate in taking Vivi's number one place, "You can fight Vivi fair and square instead? No underhanded or petty rumours, just a normal battle,"_

_Seungha thought for a moment, but shook her head, "I don't know Jen..."_

_Jennie hummed, "Well, too bad. I've already scheduled the match," Jennie said, showing Seungha her phone's screen._

_**'Network Battle Scheduled: Seungha vs Jennie Kim!'** _

_Seungha then stared at Jennie, "Why... we didn't even decide on it?"_

_Jennie scoffed, " **You** didn't decide on it. Honestly, do you even care about what I want? What we need?"_

_Seungha scoffed, "I'm sorry... do I care? I've cared **so much** about you and the things you've wanted! I'm sorry for having moral standards that don't match yours," Jennie glared back at the girl. Seungha couldn't believe it- was Jennie doubting if Seungha cared about her? Of course she did! Why else would she buy her all those presents, or spend so much of her time with her, or even neglect her studies because Jennie needed someone to cuddle next to? Still, small doubts lingered in Seungha's mind. She shook her head,"I have my priorities set,"_

_"Well, **maybe** you need to reassess what your priorities are!" Jennie said, now beginning to get angered by her girlfriend. "You can't just move forward in life without stepping on a few people to get where you want to be! That's just how things should be. Trust me, I think it's far more important for us to consider what I've considered our priorities should be and where they lie,"_

_"I deserve to have my priorities! They shouldn't have to align with yours! We already have priorities as a couple and we don't need to both start prioritising being powerful," Jennie rolled her eyes as Seungha scoffed, "I'm sorry I'm not wanting to constantly put people down! I'm sorry for even having a shred of me that even cares more about us than our rankings!"_

_Jennie looked down to the ground, "...is that what you think of me? Someone who just puts people down?" Seungha paused and widened her eyes. Before she could even get another word out, Jennie walked past her. "Look... our fight is at the end of the day. People will be waiting and watching... I'm expecting you to be there... don't let me down," She said, walking off._

_As Seungha began walking in the opposite direction, her head low and feeling bad from insinuating her girlfriend didn't truly care about them and only put people down, Jennie sighed. Once she was out of earshot, she spoke aloud to herself._

_"Whilst it's probably not right to pretend those actually words hurt me, whatever keeps Seungha from getting ideas and trying to oppose me will work," she walked away, trying to remain confident that she would win and defeat Seungha, already wondering how she'd try to counter Vivi's time-related abilities._

_=======_

_Seungha sighed. It was the end of the day. She was supposed to head to the school's arena, but in reality, she sat outside a classroom door. She felt tired... as if it was beginning to become tiring to even move anymore. She had no idea if she could trust Jennie, she had no idea if Vivi was telling the truth, no idea if she was just being paranoid about everything... Seungha let out a deep sigh. She saw someone walk over, they appeared to be taller than Jennie and had bright orange hair._

_Seungha immediately recognised who it was, "Rosé?" She questioned as the girl walked over and nodded._

_"You seem kinda tired and I really do not want to bother you right now but..." She sighed, "Jennie's waiting," Seungha sighed and nodded, getting up and walking past the girl._

_Seungha met with Jennie in the hallway outside the arena. Jennie sighed, "I know... things didn't exactly end well earlier but..." Jennie grabbed onto Seungha's hand and clasped her own hands around it. "Just... I'm not mad at you at all. But sometimes I just have to give a little push so that we can do the things we both need to do," she explained as Seungha sighed._

_"It's fine," she smiled. It wasn't entirely, Seungha still felt the guilt and worry from seeing Jennie hurt the first-year and she still felt confusion over who deserved her trust._

_Jennie smiled, "Good! Make sure you're prepared for this fight.. I won't hold back," she grinned as she walked away, leaving Seungha to sigh by herself._

_Seungha sat isolated in one of the preparation rooms outside the arena. She was ready to fight... almost. Within her_ _head, she heard her thoughts running and becoming louder and louder. Her doubts, confusion, distress, hurt, love and it all began to become so overwhelming for the girl. She felt as if she had pushed everyone away as if she had no one else to go to. She needed someone, someone to listen to her or to talk to her. But... she chuckled sadly at the thought. As if anyone would want to speak to her again._

_"Seungha?" Her eyes shot open at the voice._

_"V-Vivi?" Seungha stood up and turned. At the door of the room stood the orange-haired girl. Vivi gave an awkward smile. Seungha still felt unsure and the voices in her head only got louder. Her doubts began to yell from the corners of her mind._

_"Hey... look-" Seungha sat down and held her head,_

_"I'm... not sure if I exactly want to speak to you right now..." Seungha admitted, "But go on,"_

_"...I can see things... aren't the best... and I didn't really know when or how to tell you this, but now's better than later," she explained. Vivi herself was unsure- did she really deserve to even talk to Seungha anymore? The two didn't exactly end things well, but... she cared for her friend. Plus, Heejin, Hyunjin and Haseul had all agreed it would be best to say something now._

_"What?" Seungha asked, coming across as more cold and harsh than she intended. Maybe it was the frustration in her mind taking hold. Vivi was slightly taken aback but didn't blame her. She remembered some of the things she said... even if she was right, Vivi felt like she lost her temper at that moment._

_"Well... you see... it's about Jennie-" Before Vivi could finish, Seungha stood up and approached her._

_"What? What is it?" Seungha was desperate to have any of her doubts confirmed or denied and found it almost impossible to hide it in her tone of voice. Vivi was surprised at the girl's sudden movement and how her voice got louder. Vivi couldn't pin exactly what about Seungha sounded off or what exactly the girl was feeling. Anger? Sadness? Desperation? She didn't know._

_Vivi was unsure from the start whether or not she should tell Seungha or if it would even be worth it. Yet, seeing the girl seem so lost and confused made her want to continue. She didn't know if Seungha would continue to listen or if she would even believe her. But part of her knew she would regret it if she never told her old friend about what she had learnt._

_"...she was the one who started spreading your secret," Seungha's eyes widened. She walked away from Vivi._

_"No..."_

_"Seungha-"_

_"You're lying... she loves me... she wouldn't do that..." Seungha's doubts rang louder in her head than ever before._

_"Maybe she does... but she definitely isn't doing it healthily nor is she doing it to both of your benefits," Vivi said firmly. She could tell Seungha must've seen... something. Something that made her so angry or desperate and in general set her off against Jennie. Something that bothered her to such an extent that it made her doubt and reconsider everything. Yes... Vivi could see it all. The disbelief, the anger, the frustration and all the confusion. Seungha's eyes told a story all on their own. The same eyes that once held a strong conviction that inspired Vivi..._

_"No no no," Seungha shook her head, "You're lying, I know you are,"_

_Vivi sighed and simply played the video Heejin had sent to her. Seungha got closer and began to watch._

**_'I wouldn't do anything to hurt Jennie. Hell, want to learn something interesting?_ _She told me to,'_ **

_Seungha's eyes widened... she recognised the voice of Lisa._

_**'my guess is, she told me to allow this rumour to spread so that Seungha believes that Jennie is the only one she can ever trust,'** _

_Seungha... couldn't believe it. This whole time... she didn't believe or trust Vivi. She trusted Jennie over it. Yet... Jennie did this? This and she was bullying students for who knows how long? Seungha couldn't... she just couldn't believe it. She trusted Jennie with everything, she knew Jennie as a kind and gentle person... but all this had happened. Seungha took a few steps back as it all finally sunk in._

_She pushed them all away... everyone. Handong, Tzuyu, Elkie, Vivi... and for who? Jennie... she had changed. She wasn't the same confident yet kind person that helped Vivi change or stood up for weaker students. She was someone new, a stranger. Seungha pushed everyone away for someone she didn't even know anymore and didn't even notice when her girlfriend had been replaced by a colder, more malicious person._

_She felt so... overwhelmed. So tired._

_"Get... out," she muttered, already feeling the room drop in temperature as her abilities activated._

_"Seungha..." Vivi reached out. She had only done all of this to finally try and reach out to her friend._

_"Out, now." The room felt insanely cold, Vivi could see Seungha's breath freeze before her eyes and felt her own body shiver. She felt glued to the spot as she slowly backed out of the room. She... she felt terrified. Never had she seen Seungha's power spike so violently. Never had she ever made the air around her bite at her skin as if it was all an icy mist. Never had she made Vivi feel so... petrified. Frozen in place due to fear. Seungha had concerned her before when Vivi went by Viian. But she never felt this frightened, no one ever made her feel like that._

_She watched Seungha storm out, footprints of ice left on the ground as Seungha walked out. Vivi still felt her body shaking and she couldn't tell if it was the cold or her own fear. She couldn't even speak, call out to her old friend to try and calm her down. It all laid stuck in her throat. Haseul walked to her side and immediately grabbed the girl._

_"Vivi?!" She asked, concerned._

_But the Number One didn't know what to say. She was the strongest student in the school and she was terrified._

_"Vivi? Are you okay?" Hyunjin asked as Heejin shot a concerned look._

_"I'm... scared," she said, watching the icy footprints Seungha had left behind._

_=======_

_Jennie was caught off guard, to say the least. The last time she saw Seungha, she seemed tired but not too upset. Yet, here, she watched as she stormed into the arena and met with her in the centre. Their battle was about to begin soon. She had assured some people that she and Seungha were doing fine and that this battle wasn't a sign of anything bad. Yet, Seungha's icy cold glare, the way she had left footprints made of ice on the floor and how her breath seemed visible all told her things weren't as good as she thought._

_She was met with Seungha's icy cold stare, "So... you good?" Jennie asked as Seungha scoffed. No one in the audience could tell what either one was saying._

_"I guess I'll have to ask you this..." Seungha said, looking down. Jennie was concerned, what happened? "Why did you spread that secret?" Jennie's eyes widened._

_"Haha what? I never did that, whatareyoutalkingabout?" Jennie cursed at herself for panicking as Seungha rolled her eyes._

_"To put it simply, I found out you told Lisa and that you told Lisa to tell other people- why?" The question came out harsh, cold. A side of Seungha that Jennie had rarely faced. Jennie rolled her eyes._

_"Okay, look," she began, "It's just..."_

_"What? You needed to 'keep me in line'? I'm not some animal, Jennie. I'm supposed to be your girlfriend, why the fuck would you do this?" Seungha was only getting angrier as Jennie scoffed._

_"You know what? You have a problem," Jennie began, not even letting Seungha finish, "You are way too naïve!"_

_"...what the hell are you talking about?" Seungha questioned._

_Jennie sighed, "Do you really think we can just be nice to people? That our levels and powers don't matter? That everyone should look out for each other and we all should protect each other and we can all live in harmony?" She raised the pitch of her voice towards the end, trying to make those ideas seem so childish as they did to her._

_"I- yes?" Seungha said. "I don't understand what the hell you're even trying to imply-"_

_"I'm trying to say that you're being childish, Seungha. We can't. Things have always been this way, the strong command the weak. You're too obsessed with being nice to everyone you're failing to see the reality of life. We have power, we're supposed to use it,"_

_"I am using it," Seungha said, frustrated, "I'm using it to protect people, people who can't protect themselves as easily,"_

_Jennie scoffed, "No, there's a correct way we use our power. We have to stay on top, it's just how things are and all I wanted was for you to grow up and realise it. You can't keep playing your game of kindness, your parents didn't get where they are now by being super kind to everyone. Maybe you should take after them,"_

_Seungha laughed, "Wow... do you really think I want to be like them?! You know how they treated me for being powerful,"_

_"Well, it's not exactly like you're proving anything to them. You just need to show them that you know how power is supposed to be used, that power is used to control and dominate the weaklings in life," Jennie replied, beginning to grow apathetic towards Seungha's issues with her parents._

_"I'm not doing anything to impress them, especially if it means having to forget about the changes I've tried to commit to,"_

_"Please... you don't think people fear you?" Jennie laughed, "All you've shown them is a distrustful cold-hearted girl, they've long since forgotten about the kind-hearted and warm Seungha," she said, sneering as Seungha was taken aback._

_Jennie... wasn't wrong. She had been pushing people away for a while now- Tzuyu, Elkie, Handong and Vivi... and many more. Anyone who didn't trust Jennie wasn't trusted or liked by Seungha. Additionally, all this concern she'd been having took a toll on her and she had begun to speak more harshly towards people. Seungha sighed._

_"Maybe if you did try to impress them, they'd be less disappointed in you and actually give a shit about you,"_

_Seungha shot a glare at Jennie. Now that, **that** had pushed her harder than everything else. Seungha felt every emotion boil over, her anger, sadness, despair, frustration, betrayal... it all surfaced at once with that final remark. Of course... it seemed like at this point, Jennie was no longer here to comfort her after every bad phone call with her parents or every uncomfortable thought... she was only here to make her feel worse._

_They both stormed out of the centre and towards the edge of the arena, ready to fight. Seungha couldn't help but let every single emotion in her body take hold, it felt like her powers were beginning to run wild and she was ready to unleash it all. Jennie smirked, she knew she could win. She was confident. She prepared herself, summoning her crimson knight which stood before her, ready to attack._

_As the match started... it ended as quickly._

_Seungha, with a yell, extended her palm and let it all out. Every single emotion that had been eating at her and bringing her further and further down was released in that single blast of ice. She felt everything dissipitate in an almost cathartic sense with that blast. When she stopped, she felt... empty. She reopened her eyes and was surprised._

_Half of the arena, the half Jennie was one, was covered in a large amount of ice, almost like a glacier. Jennie's head was the only thing not covered in ice, as she began to panic and yell at Seungha. She was... shocked. She was so confident she could win yet... she was embarrassed like this. The match was announced as an assured victory for Seungha, less than ten seconds... she was livid. She tried to break out but the sheer panic she felt prevented her from being able to manifest her knight._

_Seungha... felt empty. She wasn't angry, nor sad. She wasn't happy, nor frustrated. She felt... nothing. She didn't care anymore. She couldn't see Jennie's anger or betrayal, or the sheer power she had displayed. Only the damage caused by the ice and the fear on everyone in the stands. She nodded to herself, reminded of what she was once told. Seungha sighed apathetically._

_Maybe... it was best for everyone to fear her once again._

_Maybe change was impossible._

_=======_

_Vivi watched from afar as the two argued. Seungha seemed to reach for the necklace that Jennie had bought her and threw it to the ground. Vivi winced as she heard a shattering sound and a gasp from Jennie. Seungha stormed off but Vivi noted the lack of emotion on the girl's face. Jennie herself frustratedly yelled and walked off, Lisa chasing after her and Rosé walking after them concerned._

_"Wow..." Haseul muttered by her side._

_Vivi nodded and sighed._

_"I just... can't believe it ended like this..." Vivi said as Heejin sighed._

_"We're here for you, Vivi," Heejin said as Hyunjin nodded._

_Vivi looked back to where Seungha once stood in the arena and remembered the apathetic look on her face. She sighed,_

_"Maybe I'm not the one who needs people by their side right now..."_

_=======_

_"Hey... Namjoon?" Yongsun called. It had been days since that incident._

_"Yongsun? What made you call?"_

_"It's Seungha..." Yongsun sighed, looking back to Seungha. The girl sat by herself, not a shred of emotion on her face. Not the faintest hint of a smile or a frown. She seemed not even bored. She just looked... unreadable. It reminded Yongsun of when Seungha would spend time with her after that incident. She was always bothered by how closed off and quiet her friend became and was happy when she began opening up to people again. So... when she heard that Jennie and Seungha broke up and saw Seungha become colder and closed off once more, she feared the worst._

_"Oh... yeah,"_

_"Did... what happened?" Yongsun asked as she heard Namjoon sigh on the other end._

_"If I'm honest... I'm not sure. She just walked into my office, terrified my assistant and asked to be removed from the rankings. I complied but I couldn't get a word out of the girl. Several days later, I discover that practically every teacher on-site was terrified of her except me. It was... concerning," he muttered as Yongsun nodded._

_"Do you think... things are about to go back to how they once were? Seungha's personality?"_

_"I... don't know. Maybe she'll still trust you and me but... who knows what'll happen," he admitted as Yongsun sighed._

_=======_

_Jisoo watched as her old friend carried her things into their new dorm. To say the least, being threatened and blackmailed to move schools and move into a new dorm had more than ruined what she once thought of Jennie. Additionally, she watched as this new girl (Lili? Lisa?) tried to comfort the frustrated and angry Jennie. Jisoo didn't get it, and could only grumble quietly to herself._

_"Hey..." someone said. Jisoo looked over, seeing an orange-haired girl speak with the most angelic voice she had ever heard, "Do you think..."_

_"H-Hm?" Jisoo questioned, caught off guard. In her frustration, she didn't expect to see an incredibly beautiful girl. Yet, the distress and sadness on her face saddened Jisoo too._

_"Do you think this is how things will be now? Because... I'm kinda scared..." the girl muttered. "I'm Rosé, by the way,"_

_"Jisoo... and..."_

_She sighed._

_"I don't know... I'm kinda scared too,"_

_=======_

_Haseul stammered as Vivi walked into her dorm. "U-Um... your room is down there," she said as Vivi smiled._

_"Thank you!" Haseul was completely shocked. One moment she was emailed by the principal and told a student would move into her dorm with her. The next, Vivi was standing in outside with her luggage with her. Haseul handed the girl a key to the dorm and smiled. Vivi looked around, taking the dorm room in._

_"Wow... I quite like it," she said as Haseul awkwardly laughed._

_"Thanks... I mean, it's not much-"_

_"No, I like it. You have a really good taste in decor," If by 'good taste' she meant paintings of silhouettes playing the saxophone, three houseplants by the entrance and a large pride flag then yeah, Haseul would agree with Vivi. "I like the paintings," she said as Haseul nervously chuckled._

_"Thanks... how are... things?" She asked, awkwardly shooting finger guns at Vivi with the last word._

_Vivi giggled, "They're just fine," she said, throwing up a peace sign to match Haseul's awkward gesture. Vivi paused for a moment, "Well... yeah," she smiled, looking at Haseul._

_"I guess they weren't the best but," she smiled at Haseul, "Maybe they'll be better now,"_

_===_

"And... yeah. Vivi moved in with Haseul, Jennie went into a new dorm with her friends and... I cut off everyone around me," Seungha said, sighing.

Everyone looked at each other, before looking back at Seungha. Silence fell over them all as Choerry was left to look at her best friend with a sympathetic look, feeling immensely brought down by how terribly things ended and how she now knew why Seungha and Jennie fell apart. She wanted to reach out and give a warm hug to Seungha, make the girl seem less isolated and alone but... right now, they all sat in silence.

**=======**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyways, remember LOONA's 'All I Want For Christmas' performance? It was AMAZING! I loved how happy everyone looked and how they all seemed to enjoy themselves. I once again hope you all have a good Christmas and a happy holiday! I still have a week of winter break left! Please leave a lengthy comment and share this fic with friends you know are interested in a loona fic and goodbye for now!


	6. Broken Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As everyone takes in what Seungha has told them, relationships are discussed. Jennie enacts her plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH HERE IT IS!!!
> 
> I think it's taken me longer than I should have and for that, I apologise! But I'm also really excited- this chapter has to be one of my favourites and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I had fun writing it! Please do leave a comment on what your thoughts were- your favourite parts, character moments, lines, anything! It all really helps to motivate me and I read all the comments I get! Also, please do share this with any other orbits you know that read fics!
> 
> I don't want to talk too much so here is the chapter!

_**=======** _

Seungha sat there, awaiting everyone's responses. The room fell quiet as Seungha finished recounting what had happened between her, Vivi and Jennie. No one knew what to say; Jiwoo was far too overcome by how harshly the two fell out, Sooyoung was shocked that at how different all three once were, Chaewon and Olivia gave sympathetic looks towards Seungha and Choerry... saw her best friend in an entirely different light. It was as if finally learning why Seungha acted the way she once did, answered so many questions.

Sooyoung ended up being the first to break the silence. "...Woah,"

"Yeah..." Seungha muttered as Chaewon spoke up.

"So... she just..." Chaewon shook her head.

"That... must have been hard," Olivia said, "Finally finding someone to trust and then they broke it like that, and all for what?" Olivia sounded almost disgusted at what Jennie had done and in her mind, she had every right to be. She knew what it was like not to trust people and then finally be able to. The idea of that one person, that one special person you can trust, breaking that trust felt terrifying for her to even think about. 

"I... that was... so sad..." Jiwoo muttered, "Seungha, I'm so sorr-"

"-No, no. It's fine," Seungha said, quickly cutting Jiwoo off. The girl seemed caught off guard, so Seungha sighed. "I know you mean well but... this is still hard for me to talk about. I hadn't even told Yongsun the reason Jennie and I broke up, to begin with, or what Jennie did," Seungha said, lamenting quietly at how Yongsun, to this day, still had no idea what caused her friend to change so drastically. Jiwoo nodded as silence fell over everyone again.

"I'm glad you told us," Choerry said, cutting through the quiet air again. She wore a warm expression, an earnest smile on her face, "It must have taken a lot to come forward and finally tell us something that's been weighing on you for a while. I'm glad you trust us this much and I promise," She placed her hand on Seungha's, "We won't break that trust,"

Seungha nodded as Jiwoo smiled. "Seungha... I don't think we've known each other for long but... I always felt like there was something or some sort of reason you acted the way you did. You seemed cold and mean but when you started hanging out with Choerry I could see how you... were kind. Under all that ice and attitude, you were someone who cared and looked out for others. I think you telling us this shows us that, you really do care about us and can trust us. That's a great thing to have in a friend," Seungha felt a small smile make its way onto her face.

Before Jiwoo could attack Seungha with a large hug, Sooyoung spoke up. "Yeah... I was always a little put off by your coldness. You always seemed so distant from other students and the fact that even teachers were terrified of you seemed like massive red flags. Turned out those were more just indicators of how much of a badass you were,"

Seungha chuckled as Sooyoung smiled, "Seriously though, glad you told us. We should definitely hang out more outside of the dorm, you can honestly be such a great friend and I'm glad you're deciding to do what you want even more now. If anything, acting cold is just proving Jennie and your stuck-up parents right, so I say stick it to them. Be you, regardless of what anyone says," Sooyoung leaned back. 

Chaewon nodded her head, "When you mentioned that you were Namjoon's other student, I was so glad to have finally met them. If you could constantly make someone laugh and smile by just remembering how you interacted with them, I knew you were going to be an amazing friend to have around. And you are!" She smiled as Seungha shook her head.

"Guys-"

"You were a bitch," Olivia cut in harshly as everyone turned to look at her. Seungha gave an unsure look towards her and Olivia's unreadable expression didn't help. "I hated you for it. You seemed so stuck-up, so harsh that all I could think of was how much of a bitch you were and how much I wanted to kick your ass for it," she said.

"Oli..." Chaewon began as Olivia shook her head.

"But... I guess I never stopped to think. Maybe there was a reason why you acted the way you did. Of all people, I should know that you just don't act rude and aggressive to someone for no reason. I never stopped or even bothered to learn your side of the story. I felt bad about it ever since you explained your problem with your parents on the rooftop that night," Olivia sighed, "You were such a bitch... but, maybe I was being one too,"

Seungha sighed and shook her head, "No... I didn't have an excuse to act the way I did. Being rude and cutting everyone off was dumb and acting the way I did towards you and everyone else was also undeserved. I was a bitch, Olivia. You were right about that,"

Olivia looked up and towards Seungha, "Well... you aren't one anymore. You're my friend," she said quietly as Seungha looked down. Olivia looked away too, "So just... stop feeling so bad over what you did. I'm glad you're not doing it anymore... I'm glad I can finally be friends with you," Olivia's voice kept getting quieter and softer with everything she was saying. Chaewon put an arm around Olivia as Choerry rubbed Seungha's back.

"She's right," Choerry said, "It's good you regret what you did, but don't let that hold you back. You're your own person and you've changed for the better. We're all happy for you Seungha, all of us," Choerry pulled Seungha into a hug. It felt odd to Seungha, whenever Choerry would hug her, it felt like it was just them. No one else in the room, no one else with them. Just her and the girl who warmed her heart. She smiled.

"Thank you..." she murmured quietly as Choerry smiled. "I'm glad you're all my friends,"

"I'm glad you're mine,"

=======

Vivi looked up as Yeojin was taking in what Vivi had just told her. Vivi, just like Seungha, had finally revealed her history with Jennie and Seungha and how her old friends came to be and how they all fell apart. Heejin, Hyunjin and Haseul were there too, adding in what they knew. Yeojin had wondered for a while and Vivi finally told her. Yeojin stayed quiet for a moment before speaking up. "Huh..." she muttered.

"Hm?" Vivi asked.

"Didn't think I could hate her any more than I already did but... wow, Jennie is really good at proving me wrong," Yeojin muttered as Vivi sighed. 

"I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, it's just-" Vivi began as Yeojin shook her head and cut her off.

"Vivi... you didn't need to tell me," She smiled and looked over to Haseul, who had been looking upset and away from Yeojin, "And neither did you. You guys don't need to apologise for anything," She laughed a little at the last part.

"But... we hid something from you," Haseul muttered as Yeojin shook her head.

"Lord, you're all weird... look, I always knew there was a reason Vivi and you both disliked Jennie but I never pushed to know why. I'm glad you both told me, but don't feel bad for not telling me for a while," She said. The room fell quiet as Yeojin looked between everyone. She felt worry, did she say something bad? She couldn't stand any of it. The silence, the odd tension or anyone's unreadable expression. She looked over to Vivi, who refused to speak. Yeojin sighed.

"Did I... say something bad?"

"No," Vivi said, before sighing, "It's just... I was worried you'd be surprised or upset that we hadn't told any of this to you sooner. I remember a while ago you used to keep asking but eventually stopped... I wondered... maybe it was because you felt like we'd never tell you a-and I was-"

Yeojin rolled her eyes, "I don't want to be rude but... shut up?" Yeojin said as Haseul quickly looked over and glared at the girl. Yeojin rolled her eyes and put her arms up in surrender towards the girl.

"Look," Yeojin began. She tried to find the right words or the right thing to say so she sighed. Yeojin was never good at this type of things- she was a jokester and a prankster, never the serious or emotional type. "When..." she sighed. Heejin looked over softly.

"Take your time," she said as Hyunjin nodded. Both Haseul and Vivi looked over curiously to the girl. Yeojin took in a deep breath and sighed. She looked away from Haseul's gaze.

"When Jennie... took away my friends, when she left me alone... it hurt," she admitted as Haseul and Vivi's looks softened, "It hurt... a lot. But you want to know something? You two _never_ asked why I felt so bad. You didn't care what the reason is, you just knew that I felt uncomfortable talking about it and instead just comforted me," she said, her voice growing quieter, "It was... nice," she said as Haseul's eyes widened. She walked a little closer to the girl.

"I decided to stop asking you guys about Jennie that day... I realised whatever it was, you two didn't feel comfortable talking about it. I needed to understand and respect that like you two did for me..." she muttered as Haseul walked closer, "You guys did so much for me... did your best to make sure I didn't feel alone or by myself... I really just... don't want you two to feel bad for this... I hate it when you two feel bad for things involving me..." Haseul walked beside the girl, who's voice was softer and quieter than both Heejin and Hyunjin ever heard it.

The two didn't know Yeojin well or as well as Vivi or Haseul did. They always saw her as the funniest one between the three, always making others laugh and playing mischievous pranks. She was a lot of fun to have around, being able to talk to Heejin and bring her comfort any time Ryujin stood her up on a date or being able to play video games with Hyunjin and make her forget about how much it hurt watching her friends from a distance. She was fun and comforting, but they had never seen this softer or more vulnerable side to the girl.

"...because you both mean so much to me..." Yeojin muttered as Haseul pulled the girl into a hug, one that was quickly reciprocated. The room fell quiet. Yeojin felt her eyes water. She hated being like this but... she felt like maybe this was what Haseul needed. After hearing that entire story, she couldn't help but be reminded as to what Jennie did to her. How much it hurt seeing her friends abandon her because of her attitude. Now knowing how Vivi was also abandoned... it brought back so much for her. She could only see Vivi and Haseul as the only two people who maybe understood what that was like... and could only appreciate their kindness more.

"Thanks... for being understanding," 

"Thanks for being the best sister I could ask for..." Yeojin muttered. 

"Aww..." Haseul said, "Group hug," she said tearfully as Heejin and Hyunjin rolled their eyes and Vivi smiled, as the group all came together. Jennie was harsh and nowadays, far too malicious. But... Yeojin couldn't deny, knowing the truth of how she managed to get on the bad side of Vivi, made her feel more connected to her and Haseul. Knowing that she knew the pain of having your friends see you as the villain and abandon you for it. She smiled. Tomorrow, she'd probably pretend this hug never happened or gag anytime someone mentioned it...

But right now? She was perfectly content and perfectly happy. Jennie tried to make her isolated and alone, but Yeojin smiled, knowing the girl failed dramatically.

=======

"...and that's my plan!" Jennie said clapping her hands together. Lisa stayed silent, refusing to make eye contact with anyone as Rosé rubbed her arm awkwardly and stared down at the floor. Jisoo had a look of disbelief on her face, seeming utterly baffled at what Jennie was even suggesting. "This way we can finally show that stuck-up Vivi how childish her stupid ideals are and maybe even have someone like me, someone who understands how the real world works, in charge and in the top place," she said as Jisoo shook her head and stood up. Lisa looked over from the corner of her eyes and Rosé looked up at her friend.

"No, we are not doing that," Jisoo said. Jennie rolled her eyes as Jisoo scoffed, surprised, "Look, Jennie, we're all just _students_. Isn't this all... a bit much?" She said as Jennie sighed.

"Jisoo... I don't care," She said, "Look, Vivi needs to grow up and realise that changing from Viian to Vivi was a terrible idea and that by exerting our power over the weak is how we'll all thrive," Jisoo rolled her eyes.

"Umm, are you fucking deaf?" She asked as Jennie glared at her. Rosé looked between the two nervously.

"Excuse you?" Jennie said as Jisoo rolled her eyes.

"Like I said, we're _students_ , Jennie. It isn't that deep and no one deserves that just because 'society doesn't work like that'," Jennie scoffed and rolled her eyes at Jisoo's statement. 

"Ugh... can't you understand anything?" Jennie questioned, "Look, we're all becoming young adults. Anyone in their third year will be turning nineteen. It's time some people just... grew up. I'm only doing this so that Vivi recognises how stupid her and Seungha's ideals are," She sighed, "Better me than some weirdo later in life who decides to exploit their kindness," Jisoo rolled her eyes and scoffed. Lisa looked away again, refusing to be caught up in all this. She wondered how Yeojin and the others were doing, maybe better than she was? She sighed quietly to herself, afraid any noise would cut the thick tension in the air and that eyes would fall on her.

"Don't give me that _bullshit_ ," Jisoo seethed angrily as Jennie raised a brow. "You aren't doing this for their good," she said, walking closer to the girl. Jennie's eyes widened as she stepped a few centimetres back. "You're doing this because you're pissed off at what's happened recently,"

Jennie laughed nervously and rolled her eyes, trying to keep her cool and strong persona up. "What are you even talking ab-"

"Jennie, cut it out. We've... we _were_ friends for years, since we were kids," she said, a little more softly before shaking her head, "I can read you like an open book... unfortunately it just makes me realise how much of a terrible and petty person you've become,"

Jennie rolled her eyes and looked away. _God... she sounds just like Mom..._ Jennie thought to herself, _Oh Jennie, you just don't seem the same... oh Jennie, you should bring over that Seungha girl again, she was great fun to talk to back then... Oh, Jennie, I'm worried for you_. Jennie hated it, she hated every word that sounded similar to that. Old friends, people who used to see her walk around her mother's building, her own parents... why do they all act like she's gotten worse? If anything, she's grown up and realised how life really worked.

What bothered her the most was Secretary Park. She was the only one who knew the true reason why Seungha and Jennie broke up and... the woman had changed. She didn't know why, but the once cold and calculating Secretary Park was now a talkative and expressive woman. She laughed, cried, and spent every free hour she had talking to and treating Jennie. On the one hand, she loved it. Her mother was an only child and she didn't see her father's relatives often, so Secretary Park felt like the cool aunt she'd always wanted. On the other hand, she was... confused. The woman seemed uncomfortable anytime Jennie spoke of how she believed the real world worked and even seemed guilty. The woman was more expressive, but ever the enigma to Jennie.

"Whatever..." Jennie muttered, "I don't know where you got the idea I was _scared_ from," she laughed as Jisoo raised a brow and walked closer.

"Oh, I can tell, you _hate_ it," she insisted.

"Hate... what?" Jennie asked unsure as Jisoo inched closer, the sounds of her footsteps sounding all the more threatening as they echoed around the dorm.

"You hate how Seungha and Vivi have both moved on. You hate that the people you tried to split up and separate are now becoming friends. You hate that the love you sacrificed, the friendships you buried... have all gone in vain," Jisoo sighed, "You're terrified of the idea that you've made yourself entirely alone. That by trying to be 'powerful', you've lost all the things you once cared about. You hate how Vivi and Seungha are still powerful despite not obeying or listening to your ideals,"

"I'm... not alone," Jennie said, almost trying to reassure herself. "You're all my friends,"

"You say we're friends but..." Jisoo looked Jennie in the eye, "We both know our friendship died a long time ago," Jennie fell silent as Jisoo sighed, "And I doubt Rosé is at all appreciative of anything you're doing," she muttered, looking down to the ground before looking back up and glaring at Jennie. The room was deadly quiet. The faint sounds of clocks ticking, every little and faint click as the clock hands moved forward. Jennie shook her head and looked up. 

"Jisoo..." she said, trying to draw upon any confidence and courage she had left, "We both know your parents wouldn't be happy about this... right? I doubt they'd be happy if they knew you said all this to me," Jisoo's fist clenched, "And I doubt they'd be happy at some of the other things I could tell them," Jisoo's fist loosened as her eyes widened. Jennie sighed and shook her head, quickly making her way to the doorway, before anyone could even catch a glimpse of the worried and even somewhat guilt expression she wore.

She had her back to the others and sighed, "I'm going to talk to Hwasa. Stay out of this Jisoo, I won't ask you for any help," she said, walking off. She walked out, closing the door to the dorm. Lisa looked up and over at Jisoo, who was currently standing still, seemingly still terrified. Lisa quietly walked over and tried to place her hand into Jisoo's, maybe even try to calm her down.

"Hey... Jisoo?" She questioned as Jisoo sighed.

"Go away," she muttered coldly.

"Haha... no... you seem bothered... want to like, hang out? I know this arcade place nearby, maybe we could head over and-" Jisoo looked up and glared at Lisa. Lisa was taken aback, Jisoo was always a kind person and one that just loved people. Lisa knew, she could tell by the way Jisoo looked out for first-years, how whenever Jennie wasn't pushing an agenda, she'd make genuinely good changes in her Student Council position. She had rarely, if ever, had to face the anger Jisoo showed towards Jennie. The girl felt... scared.

"The last thing I want... is to hang out with someone who's so blind they can't even realise how fucked up this all is," Lisa was taken aback and looked towards her. Jisoo shook her head, "You have no fucking clue what it's like... having someone who you trusted with everything, threaten to use all that against you. To have someone you care about like this, turn their backs on you and only keep you around because your useful,"

Lisa looked to the ground. Jisoo looked over and examined the girl's face, trying to search for some type of answer or explanation. Something that explained it all. Then it clicked. "No... you're not blind..." she muttered, "Actually... maybe you do know what it's like..."

Lisa looked up confused as Jisoo looked up and made eye contact with her, "You just refuse to see it. Refuse to see how that girl you love? The one who you'll do anything for? She only keeps you around because you're so fiercely loyal. Hell, she even leads you on at times, intentionally or otherwise," Lisa shook her head as Jisoo sighed, "Too bad, Lisa. The girl you love is a bitch... the sooner you realise that, the better it'll be for you. For now... like hell I'm hanging out with you," Jisoo stormed out the room to cool off. 

Rosé stood up, wanting to follow Jisoo and see where she'd go. Before doing that, Lisa looked up at her. Rosé looked over and made eye contact with her. She felt a pang of sadness strike her as she looked down to the floor and was hesitant to move...

===

_"Hey, Lili!" A young Rosé said as she ran over. A younger Lisa looked up as Rosé smiled and sat next to her friend. She handed the younger girl an ice cream cone as they spoke. The two were now in their fourth year of secondary school. Things were great, the two agreed. One year more and they'd be fifth years, another and they'd finally leave and head to an Academy. Lisa smiled as she and Rosé began talking._

_"Wasn't it, like, your birthday a few days ago?" Rosé asked, licking her ice cream as Lisa nodded._

_"I'm proud to say I have joined the fifteen-year-old squad and I am now officially the same age as you," she grinned as Rosé rolled her eyes._

_"I'm still older than you," she said as Lisa snickered._

_"Only by a few months," she said as Rosé rolled her eyes and the two laughed. Other people were walking around the park they were currently at; new couples out walking together, some cool older kids having mini-sparring sessions, children playing with their parents... that last one made Lisa smile sadly as she looked down to her lap. She continued to eat her ice cream until it was left to just a cone. She looked over to Rosé who had finished a while back._

_"So... haven't you met a new friend?" She asked as Rosé nodded and smiled._

_"Her name's Jennie! Jennie Kim!" She said as Lisa raised a brow. Rosé giggled to herself before continuing. "Yes, the same Jennie Kim that is the heir to that really big company,"_

_Lisa's eyes widened as she grinned, "Oh my god, you're friends with her?"_

_Rosé smiled, "I know, right?"_

_"Rosé is making it up in the world," she smiled as Rosé giggled again. Lisa kept quiet before continuing. "Is she... nice?" She asked as Rosé sighed._

_"She's adorable, a bit of a sweetheart but... gets bullied a lot. I hope she gets stronger, maybe teach those people a lesson," she said. Lisa smiled._

_"Well, I'd sure love to meet her someday," Lisa said as Rosé giggled._

_"Well... she actually plans to go to the same academy you will! Utopia Academy!" She said as Lisa raised a brow._

_"Really?" Rosé nodded._

_"I think it'd be so cool! If my battle skills and grades improve, maybe I'll be able to join you two," Lisa smiled and looked down to her lap as Rosé continued talking about how disappointed she was about her grades recently. Soon, Lisa would forget all about Jennie Kim when she arrived at Utopia Academy, finding herself surprised at the arrival of the girl Rosé had befriended those years ago and also finding herself falling for her, fast._

===

Rosé sighed, looking between her old friend and the doorway where Jisoo once stood. She couldn't decide what to do anymore. Talk to Jennie? Try to reason with the ever terrifying girl? Or maybe she should try to follow after her crush? Try and calm Jisoo down and help her forget the lingering worry of what Jennie will do? Or maybe she should stay here and calm down her long-time childhood friend? Rosé sighed, not knowing what she could even do anymore. 

=======

Wordlessly, Chaewon walked into Olivia's room. The girl seemed to just be playing a game on one of the many consoles she had. At first, Chaewon was relaxed, seeing her best friend enjoy herself and her hobbies always brought a warm smile to her face. Video games were Olivia's safe space- something that originally distracted her from her issues with her father that grew into something else. But, she noticed the look on Olivia's face in the reflection of the TV screen. Bothered. Upset. Not even concentrating on the game. Chaewon frowned and walked over to her friend, who noticed her.

"Oh, hey Chae," Olivia said as she moved to the side a little, giving Chaewon space to sit down. Chaewon smiled and took a seat beside her friend.

"Hey, Oli," she smiled as Olivia nodded. Chaewon watched her friend play for a while, watching as her fingers smashed each of the buttons on the controller, "You good, Oli?" She asked as Olivia sighed as her character died on the screen.

"I don't know..." she muttered, "Probably, can't help but keep thinking about what happened earlier," she said quietly as Chaewon nodded.

"Yeah," she said as Olivia's character reappeared on the screen as the girl began to play again. "Just..."

"I always knew it would be bad," Olivia admitted, pausing the game. Chaewon looked over as her friend looked back at her, "Ever since she told me that the two were exes,"

"Right... but, this bad?"

Olivia sighed, "Yeah..." she looked down, "Lying to her friend, going behind their backs, cutting Seungha off from her old friends, trying to split Vivi and Seungha up... hell, breaking Seungha's trust like that? No wonder things ended sourly..." she muttered as Chaewon nodded. The room was uncomfortably quiet so Olivia unpaused the game and began to play again. The rhythmic sounds of button pressing resumed as Chaewon thought for a moment. Something just didn't add up in her head.

"Why..." Olivia paused again, and looked over, "Why did it seem so... sudden?"

Olivia gave her friend a curious look, "Hm?" She questioned as Chaewon sighed. 

"I don't know," she said, "It just... feels like something was missing. Like, this is all some big puzzle and Seungha thinks the puzzle is complete, but in reality, we're all missing a puzzle piece..." Olivia now seemed really confused.

"I... Chae, what?"

Chaewon chuckled, "Hehe... Chae _won..._ Chae _what?_ I think it's funny," she said as Olivia sighed and shook her head.

"Those are like... the jokes we keep to ourselves, not the kind we say," She said as Chaewon huffed and rolled her eyes and looked away.

"Whatever... I thought it was funny," She muttered as Olivia chuckled.

"Yeah... you make those shitty jokes funny somehow," she said as she unpaused the game. "So, what did you mean?" She asked as Chaewon thought for a second before continuing.

"I think that something made Jennie do what she did and given how long it took for Seungha to even realise what was even going on-"

"Dense ass iceberg..." Olivia muttered.

"...I think it was a gradual process," Chaewon said as Olivia stopped and thought for a moment (her character dying again, but at this point she had more interesting thoughts in her mind). 

"...what does that mean then? Is it even important? What if the puzzle is complete and we don't even need that missing piece, y'know?" Olivia questioned as Chaewon nodded to herself. She could agree, there wasn't exactly a big need to know the truth of it all, but part of her still wanted to know.

"Would it mean... if the incident was small enough... and things change... that Jennie could return to how she used to be?" Chaewon asked as Olivia's eyes widened as she looked down at her lap and thought about it. The thought... that someone as malicious as Jennie... could become a nice person? She would usually scoff at such an idea and call whoever said that crazy. But two thoughts took over her mind. One- it was Chaewon, and the girl was pretty good at knowing when seemingly aggressive and bad people have a lighter side of themselves that should be seen more often. And two- Seungha had already proven even the coldest can turn into warm people.

This wasn't even considering how even Seungha's story proved people could turn good such as how Vivi did. At this point now, Olivia felt the smallest part of her seeing it becoming a reality. She shook her head and sighed, although it was appealing, it was still Jennie. "Would take a serious ass-kicking for her to reconsider her priorities," she said as Chaewon laughed a little and nodded. 

"Maybe you or Seungha will be the ones to do it," she grinned as Olivia smiled.

"Would be nice," she said. They were then interrupted by a call from Chaewon's phone. The girl reached into her pocket and pulled it out. Olivia smiled, the phone itself was a mint green but the case was clear and she could see a picture of her and Chaewon slotted in between the back of the phone and the case itself. It was a cute selfie the two had taken together and it made Olivia's face turn a light pink from seeing Chaewon use it.

"Somi?" Olivia was brought back to reality as Chaewon smiled. "Oh my god, how are you?" Olivia smiled.

"Is it Somi?" She asked as Chaewon nodded. 

"You want to hang out?" Chaewon said surprised and looked to Olivia. Olivia shrugged, it turned out the girl was surprisingly cool to be around, so Olivia didn't mind. "Sure," she said as Olivia began turning the game off.

"Well, looks like our day is sorted," 

=======

Jinsoul smiled at the paper, the highest possible score marked in red ink. She put it away in her back at her side, zipping it back up as she walked outdoors. Her last score was a few marks off of full marks so she decided to stay back with some other students to retake the test and give herself that perfect score she needed. She smiled to herself, wondering what Jungeun would say. As she continued to walk, she looked over to the large tree upon the hill. It was where she would go if she ever felt like she needed some time to herself and after a day with a lot of tests and papers? She needed a small rest.

She walked up the hill, a faint cool breeze in the air as the sun's warmth still radiated down. The weather was great and she had already heard that Choerry, Seungha and Yeojin decided to have a day out due to the weather. The grass was emerald and even swayed slightly as the sky above was blue with few clouds. A blissfully beautiful day. As Jinsoul walked nearer to the tree on top of the hill, she noticed a figure there. They were sitting against the tree, looking out over the vast greenness below and the several flowers that dotted them. They had their knees up to their chest and as Jinsoul got closer, she began to recognise who it was.

"Jiwoo?" Jinsoul questioned as she looked over. She smiled at the girl and she smiled back, but it wasn't Jiwoo's usually large and beaming smile that made anyone weak. It was smaller and if anything, made the girl appear tired. Jinsoul shot her a concerned look as she sat beside her, wondering what was up with the usually energetic and chipper girl. "What's up?" She asked.

Jiwoo ignored her question, instead of looking out over the meadows below them. Jinsoul recalled how the principal explained to them what the school was like, how the very first principal had bought some expanses of land to provide all the necessities needed. Ever since the school had stood here. The entrance leading to a road that connected the academy to the large city, but an expanse of green and forest in its backyard. "It's nice, isn't it?" She asked as Jinsoul nodded.

"Yeah..."

"I've noticed you come here often... how come?" She asked as Jinsoul sighed, looking out over the vastness of green herself.

"Sometimes... more recently, things can get... overwhelming. It's nice to have a place to disconnect from it all and just reflect and take a break," she admitted as Jiwoo nodded. 

She smiled, still not her usual smile but... it was a smaller, warmer one. "It's the same for me," she said, "I just... needed some time to think,"

"Hm? How come?" Jinsoul asked, "If you don't mind me asking," she said as Jiwoo hummed quietly to herself.

"Feelings are confusing sometimes, you know?" She said as Jinsoul thought for a moment and sighed.

"Yeah... they can be," she said. Jiwoo felt like there was more to it, but opted not to say anything yet.

Jiwoo sighed, "Sooyoung..." she said quietly as Jinsoul looked over immediately, "I'm not even sure if she likes me... well, in _that_ way," she said as Jinsoul looked away, hiding her incredibly frustrated glare. It felt like anytime the two got even a little close to finally being able to be totally honest with their feelings, something pulls them apart again. She turns back to Jiwoo and gives her a concerned look.

"Jiwoo... what even makes you think that?" Jinsoul asked as Jiwoo sighed.

"I don't know... anytime I do this big gesture, one that is like, so obviously something you only do for someone you _really_ like, she seems to act up. Like she gets all tense and awkward... I'd ask Jungeun if I'm overdoing it, but I don't think she'll give me an honest answer..." she muttered. Jinsoul sighed, she could get it. Jungeun could be brutally honest but when it came to the people she cared about, she'd refuse to answer or talk if it could hurt their feelings. Jinsoul discovered this a while back- she knew she didn't mean any harm by it.

Jiwoo looked up and her eyes met with Jinsoul's. Jinsoul could see it... like a window into her mind, Jinsoul could see it all. The confusion, the fear, the want to know... the girl was looking for an answer from her. Jinsoul closed her eyes and sighed. She hated it. Hated how Jiwoo _and_ Sooyoung had promised her to say _nothing_ in regards to their feelings. She could recall it, clear as day, those months ago. Far before Jiwoo had run up to Jinsoul and told her not to tell Sooyoung about her feelings.

_"Umm... are you sure?" Jinsoul asked as Sooyoung took off the incredibly expensive sunglasses she was wearing, massaging the bridge of her nose. The two girls weren't too different from where they were now. Sooyoung wore expensively whilst Jinsoul dressed more casually, Jinsoul excelled in school whereas Sooyoung was the resident cool girl and both were close, if not best friends._

_"Jinsoul, I'm not repeating this," she muttered as Jinsoul raised a brow. Sooyoung looked up and glared at her as Jinsoul raised her arms in defence. The other girl grumbled as they both continued to walk through the park, Jiwoo and Jungeun several feet ahead of them, laughing about something else. Jinsoul gave her friend a concerned look as they continued, sparing a quick glance at Jiwoo._

_"Okay but... I don't want to be mean, are you sure she'll notice if you don't say anything? You should just tell her," Jinsoul said. "No point in trying to hint at it or trying to wait for when it's right, you just being honest with her is probably the way it should go," Jinsoul suggested as Sooyoung sighed._

_"I just, look, I just want things to go the way I want them too. I don't even know if this is like a phase, I've liked people before only to stop liking them a few days later. Let's just see if this whole 'Liking-Jiwoo-that-way' sticks before I confess to her... it would end badly either way," Sooyoung said, "If she likes me and I stop liking her, then boom- I've upset her. If she doesn't like me, then I've made things awkward,"_

_Jinsoul sighed, "I think you're overcomplicating it a little... plus it's been weeks, you obviously like her and want to date her,"_

_"Maybe..." Sooyoung sighed, putting her sunglasses back on and looking ahead, "Just don't tell her. Not now, and not unless I want you to. We're friends Jinsoul, I trust you," she said quietly as Jinsoul smiled and looked ahead herself._

_"Yeah... I trust you too,"_

Jinsoul opened her eyes and looked forward. ' _You both... really make this hard,'_ she thought, _'I bet Jungeun doesn't deal with this... we should go out together later, she needs a break'_ Jinsoul was happy at the thought but returned her attention to the girl beside her. Jinsoul sighed, looking out over the emerald expanses and sighed.

"Sooyoung... she's not very vocal about her feelings. She was really trying to be a cool, stoic girl in high school who flirted with all the girls, and sure, she's different now... sorta,"

"She still oozes charisma,"

"Yep, an outfit she wears for a day is worth more than my entire wardrobe," Jinsoul sighed, "But my point is, she's not too different. She can get awkward when something happens that she doesn't expect and she isn't always aware how some people react. I think it's best if you... don't do your over-the-top antics. I don't think she hates them, she's told me as such, but I can tell she appreciates smaller gestures more. So... there's my answer: I don't know if she likes you," she lied, "But I know she appreciates everything you do, so don't feel like you have to go big for her to notice you and... maybe just be honest? She'd appreciate it," she answered honestly as Jiwoo smiled, looking down.

"...thanks, Jinsoul," Jinsoul smiled. Jinsoul really hoped that the frustratingly drawn-out phase of pining between the two girls would end and that they'd just finally talk to each other and confess. It had been months, _months_ since Jinsoul realised the two liked each other. But the promises she had made meant that she had her lips sealed and she couldn't be as honest with them as she wanted to be. Still, she smiled.

The girl turned to her phone and found several notifications.

**_Suji:_ ** _are you kidding? cancelling again?_

**_Jinsoul:_ ** _:( im sorry, im busy today_

**_Suji:_ ** _God... you're always busy..._

**_Suji:_ ** _Are we even friends?_

Jinsoul felt her smile falter. She checked the next few.

**_Sejoo:_ ** _Will be fun today, a shame you couldnt come_

**_Sejoo:_ ** _wouldve been fun but nope, had to cancel again_

Jinsoul sighed, feeling a frown grow on her face.

**_Gayoung:_ ** _Please please please show up?_

**_Gayoung:_ ** _Lip wont even mind!!!_

**_Gayoung:_ ** _please???? Its been ages since we last hung out!!!!_

**_Gayoung:_ ** _Dont be selfish soulie_

Jinsoul buried her head in her hands and sighed. Jiwoo looked over, concerned. Jinsoul heard it, another ding. Another message someone had sent her... but who was it? Was it someone asking to hang out again? Was it another one of them? Demanding her attention? She couldn't. At this point, her head felt heavy and her mind was overwhelmed. Her phone continued to beep, the incessant high pitched noises kept ringing. Jiwoo grabbed Jinsoul's phone from her hand and set it to silent.

"Jinsoul...?" Jiwoo asked as Jinsoul looked up, tired.

"Yeah?"

"You..." Jiwoo thought quickly, "Want to hang out?" She flashed her signature grin. It took a while, and Jiwoo couldn't exactly read what Jinsoul was thinking, but the blonde laughed.

"Sure, let's go," she smiled. "Haven't been to the arcade in a while," Jinsoul said as Jiwoo giggled.

"Then let's go there!" She said, standing up. She took a quick glance at Jinsoul's phone as the other girl stood. Jiwoo noticed the sea of messages Jinsoul's 'friends' had sent her. Jiwoo grumbled quietly as she looked at the number of notifications reading each name. Jiwoo couldn't even try to be subtle at how much she disliked them, which was surprising given how it was hard to make Jiwoo dislike anyone. Of course, there were a few. However, her eyes lingered on one name and smiled. 

**_Six new messages from_ ** _Lippie <3_

**_Lippie <3: _ ** _Hey jinsoul! I dont think ill be able to make it tonight_

**_Lippie <3: _ ** _Soul???_

**_Lippie <3: _ ** _Are you mad at me?_

**_Lippie <3: _ ** _Soul please answer, im sorry its just a lot right now_

**_Lippie <3: _ ** _i know it isnt an excuse_

**_Lippie <3: _ ** _look just respond?_

Jiwoo sighed as she read through them, her smile faltering. She looked over to Jinsoul who was smiling, looking out over the slightly swaying grass and multicolored flower patches. She could tell the girl hadn't read any of these messages. Jiwoo... felt unsure. She could tell those 'friends' of Jinsoul were clearly bothering her, and whatever Jiwoo was suggesting was pretty much an escape from that. Reminding her about this and knowing that Lip couldn't do whatever they were probably going to do that day... would be hard. 

**_Lippie <3: _ ** _Jinsoul???_

**_Lippie <3: _ ** _I can see you read these_

**_Lippie <3: _ ** _Im sorry but please understand please answer_

She shook her head, handing Jinsoul her phone back. Jinsoul gave a curious look before scanning the screen and her smile fading into a sadder expression. She gave a tired sigh, her arms falling to her sides as she looked up at the sky and closed her eyes. Jiwoo couldn't keep looking at Jinsoul be this sad. She shook her head, pulling out her phone immediately.

_**Her <3** _

**_Jiwoo:_ ** _HEYYYY_

**_Jiwoo:_ ** _SOOOOOOYOUNG_

**_Her <3: _ ** _HEY OMG_

**_Her <3: _ ** _Finally stopped ghosting me?_

**_Her <3: _ ** _haha jk dw about it its cool im fine_

**_Jiwoo:_ ** _GOOD! BUT this isnt about me_

**_Her <3: _ ** _Oh no you stopped using caps, what is it?_

**_Jiwoo:_ ** _Jinsoul is sad because lip cancelled whatever they were doing because shes busy_

**_Her <3: _ ** _Oh no..._

**_Her <3: _ ** _..._

**_Her <3: _ ** _I can fix this give me two minutes._

Jiwoo waited a few minutes as Jinsoul walked over, the sad yet tired expression still on her face. The girl seemed... saddened. Jiwoo loved cheering people up, but even she wasn't sure if hanging out with a sad Jinsoul would be any fun- the girl was at her best when she was happy. She hated how every now and then, she'd catch this. Jinsoul and Jungeun looking sad. They were perfect for each other, she knew that. But both were seemingly terrible at talking about the problems they're having right now. Jiwoo was beginning to grow frustrated at how often Jungeun forgot to tell Jinsoul about any work or projects she had to give in and how Jinsoul was letting these old 'friends' (she had heard from Sooyoung that apparently they were always this bad) get in the way.

Jiwoo wondered what Sooyoung was going to do as Jinsoul sighed. "Let's go-" But before she could finish, she heard the sound of a notification ring again. Jinsoul must have turned her phone off from silent. She sighed, probably assuming it was from those people. She pulled out her phone from her pocket anyway, but her eyes widened and her mouth slowly formed a large grin as she looked at the message.

"Oh..." she smiled. She tapped her fingers across the screen, writing a new message. Satisfied, she turned off her phone and walked over. "Well... what are we waiting for?" Jinsoul asked as Jiwoo smiled.

"Yeah- let's go!"

**_Jungeun Kim:_ ** _wait!_

**_Jungeun Kim:_ ** _I cant do right now, but im fine for later tonight_

**_Jungeun Kim:_ ** _we could have like, a movie night? between us two?_

**_Jungeun Kim:_ ** _we can make snacks together_

**_Jungeun Kim:_ ** _Jinsoul?_

**_Jin-Soulmate_** 💙: _THATS AMAZING!!!!_

**_Jin-Soulmate_** 💙: _Sure Lippie, that's fine!_

Jungeun sighed as Sooyoung was handed the stack of folders, binders and papers. At least, only half of it. Jungeun smiled. "Thanks again," she said as she put her phone away and adjusted the way she was carrying the other stack. Sooyoung shook her head and smiled as they walked down the corridor. Sooyoung had offered to carry half of Jungeun's work to some of her teachers, that way she could cut the amount of time spent running around the building and get back to Jinsoul sooner.

"It's fine, really. The least I could do after you let me talk about Jiwoo..." she muttered as Jungeun shook her head.

"Two things," she began, "One- stop worrying so much. It's Jiwoo, not a murderer," Jungeun said, "Second- don't feel bad about talking about your feelings," Jungeun muttered, "Seriously, you don't need to try so hard to be all cool and mysterious anymore- we all know you're a softie deep down," she said as Sooyoung scoffed.

"You tell me that but you two could really be talking more about your own feelings..." Jungeun glared at the girl and Sooyoung sighed. "You're both perfect for each other, you know," she said as Jungeun looked down. "You can't let all the catch-up work you're doing distract you from her and she can't let those dumbass 'friends' bother her. You both love each other but you both need to take a little break from all this outside noise soon. The quicker you stop worrying about all this," she raised the stack slightly, "The less upset you'll make Jinsoul,"

"Right..." Jungeun muttered guiltily, "I guess I am... being a little..."

Sooyoung cut in, "It ain't your fault either," she said, "Life right now is being an uncontrollable bitch, you both just need to learn how to control the things you can- like the time you both spend with each other, alright? Seriously, I'll warn Soul all about this too," she said as Jungeun nodded. They both stayed quiet for a moment before Jungeun chuckled quietly to herself. Sooyoung looked over, confused. 

"What?" Sooyoung asked.

She shook her head with a smile, "Nothing just... maybe you still are a little cool,"

Sooyoung smirked, "Takes a lot to get rid of all this flare," she said as she confidently strode forward. "So, the first few go to Doctor Hoseok, Professor Jungkook and Professor Seokjin?" Jungeun nodded as Sooyoung walked off. Jungeun smiled to herself, already excited about spending time with Jinsoul later that night. It was hard to find time but, they were managing well.

=======

Heejin sighed. She looked down at the last message she had sent Ryujin. It had been an hour now, as she waited for a response. The sky was beginning to darken as the clouds illuminated with the faint orange glow from the setting sun as street lamps lit up across the street. The café was calming down, although Heejin was beginning to grow used to the odd looks people gave her. She had ordered for two people, yet the other cup remained cold and untouched. She sighed, wondering how much longer Ryujin would keep her waiting. She heard the faint sounds of footsteps as a familiar face sat opposite her.

"Hey Haseul," Heejin had told Ryujin to meet her at Velvet Café, the same place where Haseul and Yeri worked.

"Hey... you good?" She asked her as Heejin sighed, a look of empty discontent visible.

"Not really," she admitted, "Ryujin stood me up... again," she muttered as Haseul winced at the word 'again'. She had never really asked Heejin much about her relationship with Ryujin (it always seemed to make Hyunjin uncomfortable so she avoided it) but the way she phrased it already told her enough. Still, concern for her friend pushed through and made Haseul question the girl further.

"What do you mean... 'again'?" Haseul asked as Heejin sighed. 

"It's... it's nothing, I don't want to waste your time whilst you're on the job," she said as Haseul shook her head. 

"Manager said it's fine and she's really cool about this sorta thing. I've got plenty of time to spare and other people covering just fine for me," she said, looking over and shooting a smile at Yeri who winked back. Haseul smiled and turned back to Heejin, who sighed with a smile at her friend.

"Sure then, I might as well," she said. She looked down at her cup, "Things started out great... and they still were when we joined the school," Heejin said. Haseul raised a brow as Heejin giggled, "Yes, Ryujin and I were dating long before you learnt about it," Heejin said.

"How long has Hyunjin known about it?"

"Since the beginning," she said as Haseul's eyes widened as Heejin continued, "But... ever since we became second years things... shifted," she said, sighing. "Ryujin seems so much more concerned about battling and I get it," she said as Haseul raised a brow, "She's super passionate about it and I totally know how much it means to her... but still," she sighs, "She's been cancelling dates and plans for months now a-and anytime I try to come up with something it usually doesn't end up happening due to her leadership duties as leader of our Battle Network team," she said as Haseul nodded.

"Woah... for months?"

Heejin chuckled quietly, "She's also totally forgotten my birthday and some other big days... it hurts but, I get it," she said, rushing out that last part. Haseul didn't buy it and it was visible from the ways Heejin's hands shook or how she seemed so apathetic or used to it all that something was clearly up, or that it was far more of a problem than Heejin realised.

Haseul shook her head, "I know it's probably not my place to say but... aren't you even slightly concerned?" Heejin sighed as Haseul continued, "If this has been going on for months, _months_... shouldn't you be even a little concerned? This doesn't sound good Heejin," Haseul said, concern and worry evident in her voice. Heejin sighed.

"I know it doesn't sound the best..." she sighed, "But it's fine," she looked up and smiled, but it did nothing to reassure her, "I've cancelled too so clearly it's not just her," 

Haseul shook her head, "But... the only times you've ever cancelled that I know of are because you were surprised or that something came up suddenly. Hyunjin goes to Battle Network training too and she's never been as absent or has never cancelled as many plans,"

Heejin spoke up, "W-well, due to the fact she's in the top ten strongest students- she's kinda been benched. Some train even later in the day, mostly because of the upcoming tournament," Heejin said, "Look... sure, thing aren't the best now but-"

"-and how do you know they will later? Heejin... you don't deserve any of this. Just because you think things will get better doesn't mean it will... honestly, with how it all seems... I'm not even sure if you're totally buying what you're saying," Haseul said. Heejin sighed, lowering her head.

"Maybe you're right..." Haseul's look softened as Heejin continued to murmur quietly, her voice weak, "Things are just... confusing," Haseul sighed and stood up, walking over beside Heejin. Heejin looked up as Haseul knelt down and pulled the girl into a hug. Heejin rested her head against Haseul's shoulder as the older girl sighed.

"Just... look, don't let yourself get hurt, alright?" They pulled apart as Haseul looked Heejin in the eye, "You only deserve the best,"

Heejin smiled, "Thanks..." she said as Haseul grinned. She went back to her seat as Heejin laughed slightly and sadly. She fished for something in her coat pocket as she pulled out what seemed to be two movie tickets.

"I got these for us... we were supposed to go today... I guess by the time she'll show up, it'll have already started," she sighed, "I don't even like the film... Ryujin just really wanted to see it," Heejin said as Haseul raised a brow. 

"Um... is... Hyunjin available?" Heejin seemed to perk up at the thought and began thinking, a small smile on her face.

"Hyunjin usually finishes around now... would be a waste to get rid of them... maybe I could see it with her," she smiled. Heejin smiled and it was the happiest Haseul had seen her all day. Haseul nodded.

"I'll shoot her a message, don't worry," Haseul said, getting up and pulling out her phone, messaging Hyunjin as soon as she could.

Hyunjin slung her bag over her shoulder, taking a quick glance at her phone as she did. Her hair was tied back and she could hear everyone else on the Network Battle team continuing with some extended training. The girl smiled to herself, it was one of the few benefits she found in being benched- getting to avoid the extended training Ryujin put the others through to make sure everyone was prepared for the upcoming tournament. As she glanced through her notifications, she spotted a message from Haseul. Her brows furrowed as she looked up, watching Ryujin train against Bora as the others were all training in their own pairs.

Ryujin's arms appeared dark red as she threw a punch towards Bora. A blue circle appeared before the girl as Ryujin's fist collided with it.

**Kim Bora - Shields**

**Bora can generate up to five circular shields to protect herself. They can be thrown as long-range discus or kept close by her to keep her protected.**

Bora smirked as Ryujin stepped back as she reached her arm forward and one of her five shields were launched towards the girl. Ryujin raised her arms in front of her face to block the attack as the shield deflected off of her. Ryujin ran towards Bora as the girl gave her leader a confused look. She kept her arm outreached as the shield began chasing after Ryujin as another two shields moved in front of Bora. Ryujin smirked, being fully aware of the shield behind her. As she got closer, she jumped up onto one of Bora's shields and jumped over the girl. Bora was far too surprised that she didn't even realise one of her own shields was now moving towards herself.

Bora turned and saw, moving one of her shields to block the oncoming disc as Ryujin landed behind her. Ryujin smirked, noticing Bora hadn't kept her back protected with shields. With a quick punch, she hit the back of her leg as Bora yelped, falling onto one knee as her shields dissipated as Ryujin smirked. She walked around and offered her teammate a hand. Bora rolled her eyes with a smile and took it, standing up. Hyunjin smiled, Ryujin was always so amazing to watch fight- the girl had a seriously cool aura about her, she could tell why she was the leader.

"Hey! Ryujin!" Hyunjin called out as Ryujin looked over, spotting her friend. She smiled, walking over as Bora followed, curious why her friend decided to stick around as opposed to leaving as she usually did.

"Hyunjin!" Ryujin smiled, walking over. She noticed the hoodie the girl was wearing and smiled, "Hey... is that the hoodie I got you a while back?" Hyunjin grinned and nodded.

"It was comfy," she said as Ryujin crossed her arms.

"So... did you want to talk or something?" Hyunjin laughed nervously before continuing. Ryujin found it slightly amusing but Bora gave a concerned look towards the girl. Hyunjin rubbed her arm and spoke up.

"Well, I just wanted to ask," she began, "Did... did Heejin send you a message earlier?" Hyunjin asked as Ryujin's eyes widened. The girl muttered something under her breath as she walked towards her bag. She rummaged through her belongings until she found it, unlocking it and immediately checking her recent messages. Bora shot Hyunjin a concerned look as Hyunjin looked over to her, sighing and just looking back to Ryujin, not saying anything else. Hyunjin knew Ryujin wasn't a bad or uncaring person, but she knew something was up.

Ryujin groaned and put her head in her hand. She walked over to Hyunjin. "So..."

"You missed a date... again?" Hyunjin asked as Ryujin nodded. She looked at her phone screen.

"Ugh... I feel bad," she said, "I hope she wasn't planning anything too big," she said as Bora gave her a confused look.

"Hold on... again?" She questioned as Ryujin laughed awkwardly. Hyunjin chose to take a few steps back, wondering what Bora would say. Of course, she would come in to interrupt if things got out of hand, but she was also aware Bora could be pretty vocal sometimes. Hyunjin had only met the girl about a few weeks ago, but the two had quickly grown to be friends, Bora being especially grateful towards the girl for helping her with confessing to Siyeon. Hyunjin had learnt many things about her: how some of her friends called her SuA, how she was a lovable dork at times, how loud she could be, how much she loved girls. But one of the most interesting to her, was how much she adored her friends and would go to lengths to defend them.

"Well... this isn't exactly... the first time?" Ryujin said as Bora's eyes widened.

"I- How many times has this happened?!" She asked, alarmed. 

Ryujin seemed to stumble over her words, unsure of any actual number of times. Hyunjin knew this had been happening for a while. Maybe this is why she wasn't intervening- maybe this scolding was what Ryujin needed to stop cancelling plans with her girlfriend. Plans that Hyunjin knows took a while to think of. Maybe it would help Ryujin appreciate the effort Heejin puts in.

Bora sighed, "Ryujin... come on, why has this been happening?" She asked, wanting a clear answer.

"W-well," Ryujin said, clearly surprised by the third year's energy. Ryujin cleared her throat, "We both have other priorities. Heejin's cancelled a few times and I understand why. Heejin's told me that she understands why I've had to as well. We're both in a good place, so there's no need to worry," she said, trying to reassure the girl. Bora shook her head, not letting any of this slide for a second.

"Okay but a few things- One, I've talked to Heejin. She's only cancelled plans with you when it's been out of her control, every other time she's put in an insane effort to meet up and spend time with you. I know damn well if you're skipping out for this _optional_ extra training-" 

Ryujin tried cutting in, "It isn't exactly optional-"

"You know damn well it is. Sure, you make sure we all show up but it's still supposed to be optional and every time someone couldn't make it, you've understood and let it go. Trust me, we would be fine if Yeji lead us for one session instead,"

Ryujin rubbed the back of her head as Bora continued, "Like I said if you're skipping out for this _optional_ extra training instead of spending time with her, that's a problem- this isn't an uncontrollable surprise, this is something you can control unlike those times Heejin had to cancel on you so don't think they're comparable," Bora shook her head, "And second- how do you even know Heejin is being honest with you? What if she's, I don't know, upset her girlfriend is doing this, but bless the poor girl's soul, is choosing not to hurt your feelings by not telling you,"

Ryujin looked away, "Okay, I get it-"

"And third- are you sure you're in a good place? Do you even like her?" Bora asked, her voice getting louder. Hyunjin looked over, everyone else seemed to still be preoccupied with their training and weren't looking over to see what the fuss was about. 

Ryujin stared back at the girl, "Why- of course, I do?" She said as Bora scoffed.

"Sure, you both act like really good friends but lovers? I don't think I've seen someone talk so... so... so bored around their girlfriend," she said, finally finding the words. "You talk like she's a good friend of yours, only occasionally slipping in 'babe' now and then. Every couple expresses their love differently but I'm not even sure if you love Heejin, do you?" Bora asked and both Hyunjin and Ryujin fell quiet.

For Ryujin, it wasn't Bora's anger that made her upset- she could understand why she was acting this way. It wasn't the fact that Hyunjin stood back and let her friend say this- she knew it wasn't her best friend's job to come in and protect her all the time. No, what got her upset was the silence. Ryujin tried to speak up, but nothing came out. She tried to answer the question, but it was as if her heart and mind were disagreeing. 'Of course, you do' her brain told her, why else did they have so many fond memories together? Taking Heejin to the arcade for the first time, taking her to that theme park she really wanted to go on, the absolute joy Heejin had on her face whenever Ryujin bought her something special. But... her heart was confused. Those were all old memories, was there anything recent? How did she feel? She looked up and saw Bora's anger and confusion now replaced with worry and concern.

She hated that, that look of worry and concern. She hated it all her life. She hated being looked down upon or needing 'help'. She was strong, she made damn sure throughout her youth that everyone knew that.

Before anything could happen, Ryujin was rushed aside by Hyunjin. "Hey hey, don't worry about it," she said with a smile. Ryujin could see the concern behind Hyunjin's reassuring eyes. She hated it when people showed her concern- all she could see was pity. But that was the difference with Hyunjin and Heejin, she never felt pitied. She didn't know how to describe it- she never was the best with her words- but there was a reassuring warmth about the two. Even if Ryujin cancelled on Heejin numerous times, late at night Heejin would still lay by her side and hear the girl speak. "Bora's just a little... fiesty is all,"

"Huh?" Ryujin said as Hyunjin shook her head.

"She doesn't think you're weak- she's just looking out for you and wants to make sure you aren't hurt, okay?" Ryujin nodded slowly and sighed. Hyunjin frowned. "You okay?" Hyunjin asked. 

"Hey... could you like, go and check on Heejin? Spend some time with her and make sure she's alright," Ryujin said, smiling.

"You sure she'll be fine about it?" Hyunjin asked as Ryujin smiled.

"She gets me..." she said as she looked back to the others still training. Hyunjin smiled.

"Well... I hope you sort things out. I think Bora will lay off you for a while, just go back to the others if you really can't make it to Heejin," Hyunjin said, still hoping Ryujin would leave. She was perfectly ready to have to take lead if Ryujin couldn't for today.

"Every hour of training counts,"

"If you say so," Hyunjin said as Ryujin walked off. She briefly talked to Bora who sighed. As Hyunjin left, Bora shot the girl one last concerned glance before now training with Yeji instead.

It was later that day, when Bora and Hyunjin talked once more.

**_Aeong:_ ** _We watched a film!_

**_Aeong:_ ** _Twas fun_

**_Bora Kim:_ ** _Dont try and win me over with your use of twas_

**_Aeong:_ ** _Twasn't trying to_

**_Aeong:_ ** _> :)_

**_Bora Kim:_ ** _Im still worried about ryujin and heejin_

**_Aeong:_ ** _Im sure they're fine!_

**_Bora Kim:_ ** _Girl_

**_Bora Kim:_ ** _Ryujin didn't answer if she loved heejin or not_

**_Bora Kim:_ ** _I know you dont have the best love life but that isnt usually a hard question for people in love to answer_

**_Aeong:_ ** _unprovoked???_

**_Bora Kim:_ ** _its just that youre out here trying your hardest to help Ryu out and she isnt even bothering to show up to Heejins dates? She can be sorry all she wants, shes still at fault and it just feels like all the work youre doing is going in vain. whats the point in helping her out if the girl just fucks it up anyway?_

**_Aeong:_ ** _it does hurt a little_

**_Aeong:_ ** _But look maybe they dont look good but im sure they are_

**_Bora Kim:_ ** _If you say so_

**_Bora Kim:_ ** _was heejin happy?_

**_Bora Kim:_ ** _be honest_

**_Aeong:_ ** _couldve been better but she was really happy after we watched the movie_

**_Aeong:_ ** _im dying a little she said she enjoyed my company and that we should do this again_

**_Aeong:_ ** _as friends of course_

**_Bora Kim:_ ** _was it you or her that added 'as friends'?_

**_Aeong:_ ** _her why?_

**_Bora Kim:_ ** _just curious lmao_

Bora sighed to herself. Now she really wasn't sure if it was a good thing that Ryujin and Heejin were still together. Heejin enjoying Hyunjin's company and asking her if they could do it again another time? And she had seen enough panicked gay people to know that the 'as friends of course' was rushed out so she didn't sound suspicious. She was doubting if Ryujin loved Heejin, and now she was doubting if either of them liked each other. Heejin always seemed just... a little too happy whenever she was with Hyunjin. Hyunjin, of course, never seemed to notice. Siyeon had agreed with Bora earlier when she had mentioned it to her- things weren't looking so good. Bora just hoped that somehow, the best possible thing could happen.

=======

Cold and dark, the night sky had since blackened. Jessie watched as people walked by- the private part of the land the school was on had a road that led to a larger main road that connected it to the rest of the city. She had left earlier and was sent a message by a close friend to wait for them on a nearby bridge that leads to a neighbouring city- she was a distance away from the school but her car was nearby and she wasn't too concerned about sleeping in late. Jessi grumbled quietly as Olivia and Chaewon walked past, both talking about someone called Somi?

"God, do those two just make friends with anyone?" Needless to say, Jessi wasn't totally over that surprising encounter she had with Seungha and Choerry. The girl had always been a pushover to Jessi and she always found herself amazed that someone like her was the fifth strongest student. She wasn't sure if it was her overwhelming positivity, the idea that perhaps the girl didn't deserve to be in the position she was, the idea that unlike her Choerry was able to be an orphan and still feel loved or even if it was just Jennie constantly asking her to annoy or taunt the girl. As the dark-haired girl and blonde left, Jessi spotted a hooded figure that she immediately recognised.

Jessi grinned as she waved at her friend. "Hey!" The hooded girl turned her head, smiled and walked over. Jessi laughed, "What's going on?" She asked as the girl drew her hood back. 

"Hey Jessi," she said as Jessi smirked.

"So, any reason you called me out here, Hwasa?" Jessi asked her friend as Hwasa sighed.

"Kinda... you know someone in your school called Jennie?" Hwasa asked as Jessi groaned.

"Ugh, her?" Jessi said as Hwasa nodded, "I can't stand her..." she muttered as she looked over to her friend, who seemed far more serious than usual. "Has she... done something?' Jessi asked as Hwasa let out a breath she had been holding for a while.

"She's asking me for a favour... maybe 'ask' isn't the right word," Hwasa said as she sat down on the pavement, Jessi sitting beside her. "She's gotten into some shit with some Monarch Tiers and asked me to help out with something... of course, I wasn't going to mess with them but... she's kinda forcing my hand at this point," she muttered as Jessi cursed under her breath. 

"Shit... is it the photos?" Hwasa nodded as Jessi shook her head, "Fuck... yeah, she's been all weird with the strongest two at our school," Jessi mentioned as Hwasa looked over. 

"Hm?"

"Yeah... Vivi and Seungha- she's been real pissed about it," Jessi said. She didn't interact with Jennie or her friends often (not that she'd want to, she could see how Jennie looked down on her and she hated the pity in her friends' eyes) but from what she had heard and the few interactions she had, it seemed obvious to her just how much the two bothered her. "I'm thinking it's her ego,"

Hwasa gave her friend another confused look as Jessi chuckled, "I meant why she's doing this. Girl has never given too much of a shit before but now... it's like, all she seems to be bothered about. There's some serious drama there," Jessi said, "Think it's because Seungha's starting to actually do stuff again, girl got in the way of me trying to bother the weird, happy student council president or whatever she is," Jessi said, mumbling about how annoying that whole interaction felt. "Maybe she just wants to find a way to kick one of them off their throne so she can be stronger? Her ego too fragile to take the idea that there are people better than her?"

Hwasa shook her head, "I don't think it's that,"

Jessi shrugged, "Makes sense to me... the bitch has always been an arrogant brat," Hwasa shot Jessi a look, catching her off guard. "What?" She asked as Hwasa sighed.

"No... she's not always... been like this," she said, "I used to kinda know her- not too much but sorta," she explained as Jessi gestured for Hwasa to continue speaking, "She wasn't too different from now- confident, strong, defended her way of thinking and her beliefs... she didn't change too much as a person but over time... I think the things she believed changed,"

"What do you mean?" Jessi asked as Hwasa continued.

"It was... small, but I heard she began to stop intervening when kids got bullied. Later, she seemed to stop caring and just made empty promises about doing something. Then, she started hanging out with stronger people and ditching any friend at a low level. It was all gradual, she started defending anyone who hurt a lower level and began to look down on them. I don't know when but at some point, she began to join in... she stopped believing everyone was equal and began believing something about 'the strong will always be on top, the weak remain below them' and after Seungha realised the girl was a bitch, she ditched her and a lot of people around her. That's what I heard from Yongsun anyway," Hwasa explained.

Jessi nodded, "Huh... that seems... why would she change? What happened?" 

Hwasa chuckled, "That's the thing... no one knows," she said as Jessi raised a brow.

"Really?"

"Mhm- no one had any clue why she started acting the way she did. All I've heard were rumours, she walked into her mother's office one day and some secretary talked to her and all of a sudden she had this weird view on power, levels and weaker people," Hwasa said as Jessi nodded. Hwasa then took note of how Jessi reacted, nodding as if she was taking in and trying to digest new information. "Doesn't she go to your school? Didn't you know this or notice it?"

As she stood up, Jessi laughed and shrugged, "I didn't care too much about her before all this. Vivi ain't bad so I leave her alone and Seungha... she scares me shitless, I don't care if she's 'changed', she's terrifying," Jessi said, shuddering as she said that, "But Jen? She never stood out to me. She was always the number 3- even now, after Seungha left the rankings," Jessi said as Hwasa remembered how Yongsun spoke about the time where Seungha removed herself from the rankings. She was very... upset about it, talking about how it reminded her of some incident between the two when they were younger.

"Jen may be the second-highest in the rankings but everyone knows that Oli could kick her ass if she tried hard enough and that Seungha is miles ahead of her... I don't know, guess I never really cared. Honestly didn't pay much attention to her until..." Jessi fell quiet, "Until... fuck," she grumbled as Hwasa gave her friend a curious look.

"Hm?"

"Until she heard about my family life... being abandoned by my birth parents and being adopted into a decent family until the money stopped coming in and we began struggling to put food on the table... she offered me money- a shit load- so long as I hurt or bullied who she said I should and did what she asked. The money's pretty good, all things considered, and helps out a lot..." Jessi muttered.

"Yeah..."

"It's fucked," Jessi said as Hwasa looked up at her, "It's fucked that she goes after us... people who need money, people who she can blackmail or bluff too, people who for some fucked up reason like her..."

Hwasa shook her head, "Yeah... Jennie can be fucked up... but..." Jessi now gave Hwasa a curious glance, "I don't know... she doesn't give me those vibes. She used to be someone Yongsun talked about quite nicely and seemed wonderful when we first became friends... I feel like Jennie tries to be someone who she thinks will make it in life- someone who is strong and doesn't concern themselves with the weak- but it isn't _her_ if that makes sense,"

Jessi shrugged as Hwasa sighed, "Maybe she just needs an ass-kicking to set her straight," Hwasa said as Jessi shrugged. 

"I think you're just being nice," she said as Hwasa stood up herself.

"Maybe... who knows?" Hwasa said as Jessi chuckled. 

"Look... I know I can't really do too much but glad you told me about it,"

"Yeah just... needed to tell someone about it," Hwasa said as the two then went their separate ways, Hwasa already beginning to dread what would happen tomorrow.

=======

"And then that's how I beat them!" Yeojin said as Seungha nodded, definitely appearing to be utterly enamoured by her friend's story of how she somehow fought off the entirety of the academy's Network Battle Team. Just last night had Vivi and Seungha informed the others of their past with Jennie and now they were all in the outdoor arena, the same place where the network battle team prepared and trained for matches and their upcoming tournament. There was still a sense of unease in the air- Jennie was also in this class and had been surprisingly quiet, although Vivi and Seungha noted the odd looks they'd get from the girl and the small smirk on her face. So, Yeojin decided to tell some fun stories to Seungha along with Choerry to lighten the mood.

The sky above was a baby blue with white clouds dotted around. The air wasn't cold but was still cool enough to warrant some jackets being worn. The arena ground itself seemed to be some kind of stone or concrete with a tougher red layer of rock around acting as the very high walls. Above them were the bleachers, lined with red seats as Choerry laughed at the absurdity of Yeojin's story. Seungha found herself looking towards the entrance that lead to the lower level of the bleachers and the arena itself and noted an odd shadow as if someone was there. It was certainly odd, she thought. Why would they stand over there and not with their class? Before she could continue to think, Choerry cut in.

"Yeojin, that didn't happen!" She laughed as Yeojin shook her head.

"No! It did!" She said as Seungha looked between them and chuckled.

"Pretty sure it went a little differently," Sooyoung called out, laughing as she walked towards them. Haseul, Vivi and Heejin were not too far behind. "Pretty sure you just threw an avocado at Bora's head and when she stormed over to you, you tripped her up and ran away as the rest of the team laughed at both of you," Sooyoung said as the rest of the group laughed as Yeojin huffed.

"Technically I still beat one of them..." Yeojin mumbled.

Seungha noticed a girl behind Sooyoung and she seemed all too familiar... Seungha raised a brow as Heejin noted Seungha was staring at her. Sooyoung looked between them and remembered hearing about how Heejin's girlfriend was apparently Seungha's sister... that and how Heejin was around when Seungha sided with Jennie over Vivi. She didn't know Heejin too well- they shared an art class and sports but that was about it. She began to wonder if there was some form of tension between the two.

"Oh- um..." Heejin had heard the girl had changed, but even then, she didn't exactly have the most evidence for it. She could recall her being far too biased in siding with Jennie, cutting everyone off after she broke up with Jennie and the terrified looks everyone had whenever she would walk down the hallways. If Heejin wasn't so frightened of her, she'd probably have a strong disliking of her girlfriend's sister. Although, she did remember Ryujin trying to reassure Heejin that Seungha was at most just very lost in how she acted. Despite it all, here she was, standing in front of her. 

"Heejin, I'm Heejin," Heejin rushed out, smiling, "I'm kind of..."

"Dating my sister?" Seungha chuckled, "Yeah, I know," Heejin was slightly taken aback by Seungha's more relaxed demeanour. This was definitely not the same ice queen she feared whenever she walked through the hallways and was reminded by Ryujin not to fear too badly.

"Y-Yeah, well," Heejin began, wondering what she should say next as she stumbled over here words. 

"I don't think I've actually ever talked to you," Seungha said, shaking her head, "You seem nice and all, how's Ryujin treating you?" She asked as Heejin chuckled.

"It's... good, we're good," Heejin said as Seungha smiled. Heejin's smile however, came across as more forced to Seungha. 

"Nice... if she bothers you though I can talk to her," Heejin raised a brow as Sooyoung chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure if you're going to do the 'if they bother you, I'll hurt them', it's supposed to be to your younger sister and not their girlfriend," Haseul pointed out as Seungha shook her head.

"Ryujin can defend herself just fine, trust me, I just know that if anyone's going to be annoying or bothersome in a relationship it'll probably be her," Seungha said as she looked towards Heejin again, "Seriously though... I just want the best for Ryujin..." Seungha stayed quiet for a bit before continuing, "Me and her don't talk as often... it isn't the best but we still care for each other. I don't know what she's told you about me but I know that Ryujin's headstrong but can be a little stubborn and irritable. I think you were around when I was still with... her," Seungha gave a quick glance towards Jennie, who was busy on her phone as the coach and Chungha both yelled at her to come off the bleachers and join the rest of the class.

"...So maybe you don't have the best image of me. I'm working on it," Seungha said honestly, "But trust me when I say I want to be more helpful. I want Ryujin to be happy but I'm still going to be looking out for everyone else," Seungha explained. Heejin smiled, "So, I'm here to help as many people as I can,"

Choerry grinned, this was the most open Seungha has been about changing yet! She couldn't help but feel utter joy running through her body as Seungha spoke those last words. She thought back to their earlier interactions, how cold the girl seemed, how deadset she was on being isolated and by herself. Yet, here she was. Breaking out of her icy shell and actively telling people she was here to help as much as possible. She couldn't help but smile.

"...that's great... honestly a lot better than from when I last saw you speak," the two chuckled as Sooyoung looked between them all.

Haseul spoke up, "We're supposed to head down for a battling exercise- Chungha-"

"-she's so cool," Heejin, Sooyoung and Seungha seemed to say at once.

"...Chungha said, like always, if you don't want to participate, that's fine," Haseul said, "She just needs enough people for this first little training exercise, I think if you three don't want to go it's fine," she said as Seungha, Yeojin and Choerry nodded. Heejin paused.

"Can I... also not join?" She asked as Haseul looked slightly surprised but smiled.

"Yep, that's fine," Vivi smiled as she saw Heejin sit next to Seungha as they walked away, watching her old and new friend begin talking. Similarly to Choerry, only a warm feeling filled her as she watched Seungha reconnect and become much more like the side that convinced Vivi to change. It was nice to see her friend no longer keeping to herself and remaining isolated from everyone else. She gave them one last glance before turning back to whatever the lesson was about to be. She walked over and stood amongst the rest of her class at the centre of the arena as Chungha began explaining what they would do.

"So today, we're doing team battles where you'll all be split into two teams..." As she continued to explain, Choerry leant over to Seungha and Heejin and just had to ask one question that had been bothering her for a while but always felt a little too afraid to ask.

"So... what's... Chungha's deal?" She asked as Heejin and Seungha gave the girls bewildered looks.

"You don't know about... _the_ Chungha?" Heejin said as Choerry frowned.

"I... didn't realise I was supposed to?" Choerry said. Before Heejin could speak, Seungha put a hand on her shoulder and answered Choerry's question with an understanding smile.

"Chungha was really famous when she was just a kid. She made headlines for having a higher level than her father, who was an accomplished Network Battle Champion and was even better than some actual professionals- totally surprising everyone in her family since she'd been training by herself," Seungha explained. "She was basically an idol for a lot of kids- I really looked up to her and... still do," Seungha said as she looked back at Chungha as she smiled, explaining the rules of the matches. Choerry noted the look of admiration in her eyes, only ever reserved for the principal- it was respect, utter respect and awe for someone who was like an inspiration when she was younger. Choerry smiled.

"Well then, she must be pretty cool!" Choerry said, "I always got those vibes from her in our lessons," she explained as she too looked back. 

"Yeah... I used to think she was cool and gained a whole other level of respect for her when we began working alongside each other in managing the school's Battle Network team," Heejin explained. After getting curious looks from the other three, she rubbed the back of her neck and smiled bashfully. "I... kind of look out for the team and act as a kind of manager. Ryujin thought I would be good at it and I sorta am," she said as the rest of them nodded.

"Guys! The fights will be starting soon," Yeojin called out as the other three turned their attention back to the class. 

"Just stretch around for a bit, maybe come up with a few plans. Remember: a direct hit or being sent into the walls means you're out. Carry yourself to the bleachers or call for one of those four up there," Chungha said, pointing towards Choerry and the others as Yeojin sighed.

Vivi was rotating and flexing the wrist on her robotic arm, making sure the thing wasn't stiff or too loose. As she was doing so, she looked up at the rest of her team. _Dahyun, Haseul, Elly, Yoojung, BM, Sooyoung and myself... interesting teammates chosen by Chungha..._ Vivi noted as she looked over to their competition. _Chaeyoung, Yeji, Lucy, Lua, Wonho, Sana and... Jennie._ Vivi sighed, she was still very unsure as to what Jennie was even planning to do and the silence from the other girl wasn't helping... she shook her head. She couldn't worry herself now, she just needed to help her team. She looked up at them and smiled... they would win. However, as she continued to look, she noticed... something in the doorway. A shadow of sorts.

Walking over curiously, it became clearer to make out. It was... someone. She could vaguely recognise them- she believed they were a friend of Seungha's old housemate and more recently they were a friend of Jennie's... Hwasa, she believed their name was. Their eyes met and Hwasa seemed to almost immediately avert them away from Vivi as the girl got closer. Hwasa grumbled something under her breath as Vivi began.

"Hey... I don't think you usually go here," Vivi noted as Hwasa nodded.

"Wow, you're a smart one," she muttered as Vivi raised an eyebrow.

"Ha... I was just making an observation," Vivi said as Hwasa rolled her eyes.

"Right..."

"Look, I'm just a little curious as to why you're here," Vivi asked, trying not to sound the slightest bit annoyed or bothered. After all, part of her was genuinely curious... an element of suspicion was still in her mind but she was still a little surprised Hwasa would be all the way out here since it was a considerable distance from what she assumed was Hwasa's normal school. Hwasa meanwhile, seemed incredibly uncomfortable and bothered, Vivi couldn't think of a reason why. 

Hwasa shook her head, "Look, it's none of your business why," she shot back. Vivi was certainly surprised at the other girl's far more aggressive tone but before she could get another word in, Hwasa shot her a glare. "Watch your back _Viian_. Just go carry you and your mommy issues somewhere else, you cyborg freak," she muttered as she walked away. A black cloud surrounded Vivi's vision and for a moment, her mind felt empty. Blank. Then, a sudden paranoia took hold, shaking her to her very core as her breathing quickened. Almost instinctively, Vivi held her cybenetic arm. It was gloved and sleeved... so how did Hwasa know she was a binate? Not only that but... she's only ever told a few people about the issues she had with her mother... how did Hwasa know? She looked back to Seungha, who smiled as she laughed at one of Choerry's stories as Yeojin joked. She... wouldn't.

But what if she did before all this? Before this change? Vivi shook her head. Those thoughts were incredibly stupid in her eyes. Seungha would never, she knew how it felt to have your secrets leaked. So... Jennie? Perhaps? But why? What would even be the reason? Was this her plan? Vivi shook her head again. Of course not, Hwasa simply knowing about her arm and mother wouldn't be 'revenge' and certainly not teach her much about 'her place'. Still... someone had to have told her. But who? The question plagued Vivi's mind but the harsh shriek of Chungha's whistle was enough to pull her out of her daze and back to reality as the rest of her team waited for her. 

"You good?" BM asked as she nodded. He smiled before looking to his opponents, calling out to Wonho about some bet with the committee. Vivi looked around her as Elly and Yoojung took a stance as Dahyun sprouted her wings. She shook her head, she had to focus. Still, the thoughts and doubts continued to plague her mind as Jennie smirked and summoned her red knight. With the blow of a whistle, the match began.

Jennie rushed towards Vivi, her red Knight lunging with both blades drawn. Vivi raised her metal arm was able to stop one of the blades. The knight then moved it's free arm, attempting to strike from the side with the second blade. Vivi noticed and ducked immediately, both blades swung and missed. Vivi rolled back as her eyes glowed a faint pink, her ability activated. Jennie groaned in annoyance as she pointed forward for her knight to continue its attack. Both blades were in front of it in an x-like shape as it dashed forward towards her. In a pink flash, Vivi dodged the attack and moved behind the knight, giving it a swift kick in the back. It stumbled forward slightly before turning its attention back to Vivi.

Jennie grumbled under her breath before then hearing some sort of sound behind her. As quick as she could, an orb of blue fire shot past her and into the arena wall. Jennie looked back to see Yoojung who charged up another orb before firing it towards someone else. Jennie looked back to Vivi and refocused, she needed to keep her attention on the girl. Meanwhile, Yoojung moved out the way as Lua tried to hit her, her leg surrounded by a faint yellow aura.

**Kim Sookyung - Striking Kick**

**She can supercharge her legs with Vitality, allowing her to hit harder but also jump higher and also run faster.**

Lua's leg struck the ground as she regained her footing. She jumped back to avoid a series of dark purple needles shot by Elly. Elly looked to her side, seeing Sooyoung effortlessly avoid being hit by Lucy's own attacks.

**Noh Hyojung - Crescent Blast**

**She can fire energy blasts from her hands that are shaped like crescents.**

Elly was amazed, watching small shockwaves appear from Sooyoung's feet as she moved from side-to-side and also jumping up and dodging the attacks from Lucy. It was amazing to her, being able to work with some of the third years in their class- Sooyoung was especially amazing to her. She seemed practically undodgeable as she jumped back and landed next to Elly. Elly couldn't help but have an excited smile on her face. Sooyoung looked up and smiled back.

"Having fun?" She asked as Elly raised a palm and fired several needles towards Lucy who ran to avoid them. 

Elly giggled a little, "Yeah, it's just really cool getting to fight alongside you!" She said as she noticed Chaeyoung readying to attack. Elly raised both palms and fired her needle attacks as Chaeyoung ran to the side to avoid them and charged towards Elly. Elly's eyes widened as she moved to the side to avoid a swipe from Chaeyoung's claws. Chaeyoung turned her head and clenched her fist, turning her body to hit Elly who was sent back a distance. Elly felt a sudden burst of energy around her as she was teleported to where the coach and Chungha were- a booth above the bleachers where teachers could supervise matches.

**Kim Jongin - Teleportation**

**He can teleport himself and anyone else so long as where they are teleporting too is in his field of vision.**

Sooyoung noted the saddened look on Elly's face and turned her attention to Chaeyoung who prepared to attack again. She ran towards Sooyoung and raised her clawed hand. Sooyoung rolled to avoid the hit which landed into the ground. Chaeyoung looked back up at Sooyoung, burgundy waves running along her arms as small sparks of energy crackled around it. Sooyoung knew she couldn't hit Chaeyoung yet- if she missed this attack, she'd be left wide open. Chaeyoung readied herself and ran towards Sooyoung again. Sooyoung moved, now was the time.

A small shockwave from her feet moved her past Chaeyoung as she jumped up behind the girl. Chaeyoung moved her arms to block her face as Sooyoung threw her fist. Instead of the attack being blocked, a large shockwave was emitted as Chaeyoung was sent flying backwards into the wall. Sooyoung smiled and waved to Elly, who smiled back brightly. Sooyoung heard movement behind her as she jumped forward, just in time to avoid behind hit by Lua, who only struck air. Lucy noticed Sooyoung on the floor and fired a blast in her direction. Sooyoung saw the attack coming and looked down to the ground. She tensed her arm and struck the ground, a shockwave launching her several feet into the air to avoid the attack. It also knocked Lua and Lucy off their feet.

Yoojung smiled, noting that due to the fact she was a decent distance away, she avoided being knocked off her feet. Taking advantage of this, Yoojung fired a bomb at Lucy. It exploded on contact as the girl was sent several feet back. Another flash of light and Lucy was teleported next to Chaeyoung and Elly. Yoojung smiled and gave a thumbs up to Sooyoung only to be kicked back several feet by Lua, who quickly rushed out an apology as Yoojung was soon teleported next to the other girls.

Lua looked over to Sooyoung, who had now just landed. Sooyoung regained her footing and looked to Lua who ran towards the girl and jumped. Sooyoung ducked and then rolled again to avoid the attacks from Lua. Lua turned around and smiled, beginning to enjoy the fight a little. Sooyoung raised both of her fists. She needed to end this soon so that she could go help Vivi- she knew Jennie must have been up to something and the fact she was fighting Vivi by herself rang too many alarms in her head. Sooyoung's arms tensed as Lua charged towards her. She needed to wait.

Lua got closer. But Sooyoung waited.

Heejin watched the fight interested, wondering why Sooyoung continued to wait.

Lua herself was beginning to wonder why Sooyoung hadn't moved. Why was she waiting?

Lua was now only about a metre or two away from Sooyoung.

Sooyoung raised both of her palms as a large burgundy shockwave knocked her back and Lua. Lua was sent flying back a few feet as she was soon teleported next to the rest of the girls. Sooyoung took her time to get back up as the rest of her team fought off Jennie's. She looked over, seeing BM throw his fist against Wonho's chest. Wonho seemed to have abandoned his shirt a long time ago as he merely shrugged off BM's fist. 

BM reeled his fist back as his skin turned silver and metallic. He charged again, hoping to strike harder than before, but before he could, a purple blast slammed into his face. He shook his head, which did little more than bother him as he turned his head to the person who fired it. Yeji smirked, smoke coming from her hand as she had just fired that blast. Her eyes narrowed as she fired another one. It came towards BM who flipped backwards as the blast missed... or so he thought.

It curved away from its initial path and as he landed, it hit his side. Again, he didn't seem at all pained or bothered, but he was definitely caught off guard.

**Hwang Yeji - Homing Energy Blasts**

**Unlike other ranged fighters, the blasts Yeji fired can travel long distances and curve their path so that they do not miss their targets. However, they are attracted to specific heat sources, so hot temperatures can be used to derail them from their paths.**

"Her attacks..." BM muttered as Yeji smirked confidently.

"They track heat sources. They had already hit you from earlier, so your metallic skin was a little warmer than usual. Made it easier to track you," she said as Wonho ran up to him and threw a punch to his face. BM moved his face to the side as he slowly turned back to Wonho, who got back and was ready to fight. BM smirked and clashed his fists together.

"Well... that isn't going to bother me!" He said, charging towards Wonho as Wonho smirked as well and charged towards his friend, their fists colliding and creating a shockwave. Meanwhile, Dahyun was high in the air with her blue wings manifested. The artificial forcefield of the arena made sure she couldn't fly too high, but she kept a wary eye out. She hadn't seen Sana yet... it concerned her. She knew her ability was powerful... she had to keep an eye out for her. She had seriously trained since the last time Vivi saw her and Jennie knew it.

Then, as she was scanning the environment, Haseul shouted a warning. Before Dahyun could react, a bright light flared in front of her eyes as she fell to the earth, stunned by the bright light. Haseul jumped up and tried to catch her, but she was teleported away by the Coach. "I guess that counts as a solid hit..." she muttered. _'My range, speed and defence stats have all been boosted... where is she?'_ Haseul thought. Then, she sensed it. She ducked as quick as she could as Sana misfired her attack. Haseul jumped up and turned around her, green electricity crackling around her as Sana appeared, smiling.

"Hey Haseul!" She beamed. 

**Sana Minatozaki - Light Manipulation**

**By absorbing and manipulating nearby light rays, Sana can do all sorts with her ability. She can manipulate surrounding light rays to make her appear camouflaged or nearly invisible or can absorb nearby light and hide in the shadows. She can also create bright flashing flares or charge up powerful laser blasts. But, like said, these lasers take a lot longer for her to charge up.**

Sana pointed her finger towards Haseul, a bright light emitting from it as another laser was charged up. Haseul moved fast- she wasn't exactly sure if she was even fast enough to avoid a laser beam. As Sana fired, it narrowly missed her and hit BM in the back. He turned around, his skin glowing from the heat of the blast. Before he could do anything else, Wonho's arm tensed for a while. Yeji gave him a look. 

"It'll take more time..." he said as he began to feel his arm ache, but he continued to hold his stance. Yeji nodded and ran towards BM with both palms aimed. She fired around four different purple blasts which all curved around BM and tried to hit him from different angles. BM turned around, punching one that tried to hit him from behind and quickly kicking another that tried to hit him from the front. Two more tried attacking him from above but he held his arms out in front of his face as he looked up. Both blasts landed on his arms but barely affected him. Yeji ran up, trying to blast him at point-blank range. He readied himself as she fired again and again. He could barely feel anything and began questioning the girl's strategy. Then, his abdomen began to feel warmer.

_'Of course!'_ He remembered how earlier the blasts seemed to only slightly warm up his metallic skin. _'It's... softening the metal!'_ He realised as he jumped back. Yeji smirked. He wondered why as he heard a shout. Sana, looking over from where she was, watched as Wonho charged towards BM, large dust clouds kicking up from behind him. He- or at least, his arm- seemed larger than before as he ran. He began to yell.

"Prepare yourself! **_Hero's..._** _"_ BM braced himself, he knew there was no way he could properly block or dodge this. Vivi and Jennie noticed they were on the same half of the field that BM was on and quickly ran to the other side, _"_ ** _Monsta!_** _"_ He yelled as BM was sent flying backwards and _through_ the arena wall. A large blast of air seemed to follow as everyone felt the air around them rush over to the side of the field where BM once stood as dust and debris flew past. As everything settled, Wonho stood, arm outstretched and back to normal size as he was left panting for air. BM was soon teleported by the coach, as was Wonho.

"H-huh?" Wonho said, confused he was over here. The coach turned to him, "Coach Kai?"

"Sorry, you can't break school property," he said as Wonho nodded and sat down, offering a fist bump to BM who turned his head and weakly raised his arm to return it. 

Jennie smirked and ran over, further away from Vivi. She turned and faced the girl who sighed and raised her fists. Sana smiled and lept over beside Jennie as Sooyoung made her way over to Vivi's side. Yeji walked over beside Jennie as the girl smiled maliciously. "Wow," she began, "Looks like it's us versus you... except," she began as Yeji and Sana nodded, turning invisible as Haseul stood beside Vivi. Jennie's knight stood in front of her, its back facing her, and drew both of its blades. 

Vivi prepared herself, but immediately, she and Haseul sensed _something_ was off. Haseul's eyes widened as she jumped as Vivi dived forward and Sooyoung followed suit. The wall once beside them had detonated as Sooyoung's eyes widened. Vivi pulled the girl to the side as the two stood up. Sooyoung gave Vivi a shocked glance, "I think they're using Sana's ability to cloak Yeji's blasts... Jennie must have planned this!" Vivi realised as Sooyoung was guided by Vivi to avoid the blasts as the Coach and Chungha watched.

"Huh... so how did you decide the teams again?" Coach Kai asked as Chungha shrugged.

"Jennie gave some suggestions and they seemed harmless," Chungha said, "One of her better suggestions, actually," she noted. Chungha noticed that although Jennie had a clear plan that would be difficult to overcome, her three opponents had amazing teamwork. The fact that Sooyoung hadn't been hit by any of the blasts despite her inability to foresee the future like Haseul or Vivi was a testament to this. 

Sooyoung jumped forward, burgundy waves and energy crackling along and around her arms. She slammed her fist against Jennie's knight as it was sent back a few feet. It regained it's footing and attempted to strike the girl with it's blade, swinging it back and bringing it down. Sooyoung raised another arm, burgundy waves running along it, and blocked her face. The blade seemed to deflect off the arm, a dark red shockwave from when the blade bounced off of her arm. She kicked into the ground, launching herself back and creating distance between them. 

_'This isn't good,'_ Sooyoung thought, _'Jennie is tough enough by herself, but the fact that we're having to avoid those blasts whilst we can't even see them...'_ With a shout from Vivi, Sooyoung rolled to the side and where she once stood, the ground detonated and a dust cloud shot up. _'We need to find them,'_ she noted, looking towards Haseul who was busy trying to locate them. Haseul looked around her, occasionally leaping forward. She looked to her side, seeing Vivi and the knight fighting with Vivi nimbly avoiding each sword swing as the knight attempted to strike her with both blades. It thrust both swords forward as Vivi dropped down and avoided them. She jumped up, uppercutting the knight with her metal arm as it was knocked upwards and into the air before falling back onto the floor. 

The knight tried to get back up, on one knee as Vivi approached. The girl's eyes widened as she jumped back as the ground beneath her seemed to be upturned into dust clouds as she raised her metal arm to her face and blocked another blast. Vivi landed and looked around. Sooyoung shook her head, they couldn't keep fighting like this. She looked to both her hands as they both began to vibrate with burgundy energy crackling around them and a faint hum. Vivi gave a shout for her to move, but she didn't. Sooyoung slammed her hands into the ground as tremors were shot out around her. The ground beneath them all cracked as everyone lost their footing and some people were shot up into the air. Jennie yelped as her knight caught her whilst Vivi was sent upwards and back into the wall. She moved her metallic hand to cling to the wall as it dug in and gripped into it. She looked to her side and saw a green defensive aura around Haseul, her also having done a similar strategy.

"Where's the rest of them?" Haseul asked as Jennie looked around. Sana seemed dizzy and was collapsed on the ground as Yeji was slowly getting back up. The coach teleported Sana beside the rest of them as Yeji was the only one left alongside Jennie. However, Sooyoung herself seemed drained from the attack and was on the ground, far too tired to keep on fighting. The coach teleported her beside her as well as Vivi and Haseul dropped down to fight Jennie and Yeji.

"Well... that was certainly a stunt," Jennie muttered as she looked to see Vivi dashing towards her in a pink flash. Jennie's knight blocked a punch from the girl with her metallic hand. Vivi dashed behind it and struck its back with a jab from her hand as the knight stumbled forward. It drew both blades again and dashed at Vivi again

Meanwhile, Yeji stumbled as she stood up. She noticed Haseul and the two locked eyes. Yeji charged up a blast in her right palm and threw it towards Haseul. Haseul's eyes widened as she ducked and started running towards Yeji, as the blast behind her curved to follow her. Haseul charged towards Yeji and her green aura appeared around her. _'Defense, Power and Speed. Sure, I won't be able to predict her next move, but without Sana, her blasts are a little easier to predict,'_ She thought to herself as she threw a punch towards the girl. Yeji jumped back and fired a blast point-blank as her other blast finally caught up to Haseul and hit her from behind. Haseul didn't seem phased, but she noticed Yeji charging another blast up. 

Yet this one was different. It appeared almost like a ball of purple fire as she tossed it towards Haseul. It exploded on impact as Haseul brought her arms up to protect her face. Haseul realised this must have been a variant of the other blasts so far, one more explosive than the others. Haseul prepared to strike again, she needed to be quick. She could already feel her green aura weakening- she'd had her defence stat boosted for a long time and it was beginning to wear her and itself out.

Yeji's eyes narrowed as a flurry of purple blasts rained on Haseul. She dashed, dodging the bombardment and clenching her fist. She just needed to hit Yeji once and she could go help Vivi fight off Jennie. She _knew_ the other girl had a plan, she just needed to know what. The rest of the class watched, watching each of the evenly matched combatants fight it out. Yeji's blasts were either blocked or dodged by Haseul, but they bought her enough time to create some space between them and Haseul was beginning to be worn out. It all seemed close when...

Haseul had enough. She dashed towards Yeji, ignoring it if the blasts hit her. Even if she became worn out or her defenses fell, she at least needed to make sure Vivi didn't have to fight a two-on-one battle. She dashed towards Yeji, fist raised. Yeji realised what she was doing and charged a blast between her palms as Haseul got closer. Everyone leaned in, interested to see which one of the two would win.

"Yeji's good... she's on the team for a reason," Chungha said as the coach shook his head.

"Yeji works best when surrounded by a team," he and Heejin said simultaneously. Seungha looked to the girl as the rest of the girls sitting in the bleachers did.

"What did you say Heejin?" Choerry asked as Heejin continued.

"I've seen the team fight before... some of them aren't as good in a one-on-one fight and Yeji is one of them. Her power, skill and range are all impressive but she lacks defence and speed. Haseul is a great all-rounder and is very good at one-on-one fights. She may not be a current member of the team but..." Haseul now jumped up as Yeji's eyes widened, her body too slow to catch up.

Back in the booth, Chungha's eyes widened as Haseul struck Yeji from behind and sent her forward. However, Haseul herself was breathing heavily as she collapsed onto the floor. Sooyoung smiled at Chungha, "...there's a reason she used to be on the team," Sooyoung said as Chungha nodded and then smiled, having realised something. 

"Oh... oh yeah!" She said, "I totally forgot about that. You, Haseul, Jiwoo, Jinsoul and Jungeun were all members of the team at one point," Chungha remembered with a smile. Sooyoung nodded, having fond memories with once having fought alongside the other four. She could absolutely recall how hard Jungeun worked on the team, so that she could get the required amount of field experience to take the BBC-OBL exams. She could recall many memories- being able to fight alongside Jinsoul and seeing Jiwoo still somehow be incredibly kind when fighting others. Haseul was the outlier of the group- someone she hadn't known before enrolling in Utopia Academy, but she found the girl to be an incredibly sweetheart but also very hardworking.

Sooyoung smiled. They were good memories. She saw Haseul be teleported beside them all along with Yeji. Yeji cursed under her breath but Chungha gave her a reassuring pat on the back. Sooyoung walked over to Haseul, a flask with a glowing green liquid in hand. Haseul got up and walked over to her friend tiredly.

"Hey Sooyoung," she smiled as Sooyoung handed her the flask. Haseul downed the drink and slowly felt any pain or tiredness leave her body as she smiled brightly. "Good thing these classes stock up on Dr Hoseok's tonics," Haseul smiled as Sooyoung nodded. The two turned their attention back to the fight at hand as Vivi and Jennie both stood at opposite ends of the arena. Jennie had a confident smile plastered onto her face that Haseul wanted to knock right off. Sooyoung frowned, hoping Vivi would end it quickly. 

She noted the girl moved and seemed more lethargic than normal, her movements more sluggish and tired. Jennie meanwhile seemed to be prolonguing the match. But why? Sooyoung knew that she'd take any opportunity to beat Vivi in a fight- to prove to everyone she was better deserving of the title 'Number One'. But from what she had heard a while ago, when Seungha and Vivi had confronted her in front of the others. 

_'The worst has yet to come...'_

What was Jennie planning?

In an answer to Sooyoung's questions, Vivi collapsed. 

The Coach and Chungha's eyes widened as they all felt themselves teleport down there. Jennie walked away, seeing Vivi's collapsed body as everyone else ran over to the now unconscious number one as Jennie merely watched. Whilst she seemed shocked initially, a small smile fell onto her face as she slowly backed away and tried to sneak off. Seungha and the others noticed however. Heejin and Yeojin ran over to Vivi as Seungha ran over to Jennie, who seemed to be trying to escape.

Seungha grabbed the girl's wrist. "Where are you going?" Seungha asked as Jennie grimaced, trying to shake Seungha off. She could feel the coldness of the girl's hands. Just then, the both saw Vivi slowly try to get up.

_Vivi had returned to consciousness. The girl tried to search her thoughts... but they felt empty. She looked around herself for an answer but found herself in a smoky void. The world around her seemed colourless and void of any detail. She could tell she was surrounded by people, all talking, but she couldn't make anything out. Anything except... voices._

Elly walked closer, clearly concerned for the girl. However, she noticed how Vivi's eyes glowed a silver colour, different from their usual pink. It was then, it happened. A hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck as Vivi stood. Her face devoid of emotion as she glared the girl down. Chungha and the coach tried to intervene but Vivi shot a glare towards them. Chungha found herself trapped in place, pink energy surrounding herself as Vivi looked back to Elly and kicked the girl in the stomach before throwing her to the side. 

Sooyoung looked to the number one, shocked. Why would Vivi do any of this? Then, she saw it. A black aura around her her head as she looked to the rest of the students coldly. Not a hint of emotion on her face. Yoojung ran up to her angrily. Before Sooyoung could stop her, she yelled.

"What's wrong with you?" Vivi stared down the shorter girl before extending her metal hand. She grabbed onto Yoojung's face and tossed her over to Lua and Lucy, both of whom were knocked down by the flying body. She then looked to the remaining members of the class with a glare before dashing over to them.

BM tried to turn metallic, but Vivi kicked him in the stomach before he could. He keeled over before feeling a sharp pain on the back of his head before he fell unconscious. Wonho looked to his fallen friend and then Vivi with a fearful look. He bulked up and tried to throw a punch to the oncoming girl but missed. Vivi dashed behind him and delivered a sharp kick to the back of his head as he fell the floor, clutching it. She scowled, kicking him forward onto his front before kicking him over onto his side. She then looked him in the eye one last time before kicking his face, knocking him out.

Sana tried to turn invisible but felt herself freeze. Vivi had frozen her in place. She watched the girl approach her only to walk past her. She did not need to worry about the girl now that she was stuck in stasis. She looked over to Yeji, who tried to fire a blast. She missed, but faster than the blast could curve around, Vivi ran to her and kicked her in the stomach as hard as she could. Chaeyoung tried to hit the girl with her claws but was blocked by her metal arm before feeling a sharp pain in her stomach and keeling over. Vivi kicked the girl on the chin and up into the air. Chaeyoung fell back onto her back and unconscious.

Dahyun sprouted her wings and tried to fly away but something anchored her to the ground. It was Vivi, who dashed over and grabbed her ankle. She then began pulling Dahyun back down to the earth with a shocking amount of strength. The girl felt herself be tossed to the side. She watched as Vivi walked over and raised a foot. She stomped down onto the girl's abdomen before punching her face and knocking her out. 

Vivi sensed a blast as she moved her body to the left and saw a crescent-shaped blast move past her. She looked over, seeing Lucy and Lua had gotten Yoojung off of them. Sana could only watch in fear. She could see it, the gears turning in Vivi's head before she dashed towards them. Lua tried to kick her but only hit the air. Vivi was already behind her and punched her back. She fell onto one knee as Lucy then tried to blast her. But Vivi grabbed her hand as she was charging the blast. Lucy couldn't believe it. She heard the number one was fast but... she never imagined her speed being this incredible. In nothing but fear, she felt herself be thrown into the nearby wall as she lay too pained and hurt to move. 

Lua was still on the ground and turned her head fearfully, meeting eyes with the number one. She then tried to run but felt the back of her shirt be grabbed by the number one, who turned around and threw the girl into the floor. Lua coughed and spluttered, trying to get up only to have her short hair grabbed by the number one and feel her head get hit against the ground as she fell unconscious. Sooyoung looked over to her body, noting Lua was lucky her head hadn't begun bleeding.

Sooyoung raised her gaze to see Vivi pant for breath before slowly looking up to the girl, a smirk present on her face before it turned into a scowl. Vivi glared before dashing over to Sooyoung who immediately dodged and wondered what Vivi was doing. Why was she attacking them? What for? Why were her eyes silver? She didn't have enough time to ask questions, however. Something was wrong and she had to fight the girl.

Vivi dashed over as Sooyoung caught the punch in her hand and then threw her fist towards the number one's face. Vivi stumbled back slightly before a pink glow surrounded her. She scowled and dashed towards the girl again as Sooyoung rolled out the way. Vivi was fast, that was certainly going to be an issue. Before she attacked again, a large river of ice passed by Sooyoung and hit Vivi's foot, at which it erupted into a large chunk of ice.

**Shin Seungha - Cryokinesis**

**She can create, shape and manipulate ice. She can perfectly shape it before it's generated and can even alter the density of the ice- allowing it to be tougher than steel. She can create weapons, freeze or trap people in ice and freeze the ground beneath her to slide and skate around at higher speeds.**

Seungha sighed, her breath frozen. Jennie took her chance and ran away. Choerry muttered something in an annoyed tone before looking back to Vivi. "Vivi- why are you doing this?" She questioned. But Vivi didn't answer. Choerry frowned. Yeojin and Heejin were once behind the coach and Chungha. They walked over. 

"We don't want to fight you Vivi," Heejin said as Vivi scoffed. Yeojin looked fearfully between them all. Seungha stepped forward. Vivi broke out of the ice with relative ease as she dashed toward Seungha, who left a chunk of ice in her place and ran to the side. She raised her hand, firing several icicles at the number one.

"I don't want to have to fight you either but... something is clearly up," she said as Heejin manifested a rope and threw it. Vivi dodged the whip-like rope which cut the ice chunk cleanly in half. She then tried to throw it again but Vivi dashed over to Seungha and managed to hit her this time. Choerry watched her friend get sent back a few feet and looked to Vivi, who glared to the Council President coldly. Choerry's hands were shaking... but she clenched them into fists.

"I don't know what's gotten into you Vivi... but..." She raised her clenched fist, energy building up around it. "I'll fight you if I have to," she said, a determined look in her eyes. As Vivi dashed toward her, fire erupted out of Choerry's hand and blasted the number one. Vivi was sent back several feet as Sooyoung jumped over to Choerry's side. Seungha got up and recovered, walking over to her as well. Heejin looked over to Yeojin, who still seemed lost.

"What's... happening?" She questioned. Heejin shook her head, she couldn't find a way to explain this to the younger girl since she herself didn't have an answer.

"I don't know Yeojin, I wish I could tell you," she said, generating a new rope. 

"Maybe..." Yeojin muttered. Vivi tried to dash them, but Yeojin clicked her fingers. An orange, glowing knife appeared in her hand. She threw it towards Vivi as it lodged into the metal platings in her arms. Vivi looked confusedly toward the knife. She looked over to Yeojin, seeing a reticle of some sort appear in her left eye. Yeojin opened her palm toward Vivi as Vivi suddenly felt the knife tug on her arm as she was sent back into the wall. The knife pinned her to it, as she immediately tried to set herself free. Choerry looked between the pinned Vivi and Yeojin, who seemed to be thinking.

**Im Yeojin - Knives (and Crosshairs)**

**She can generate Knives made of Solid Vitality (a material many ability-made constructs are made of) that she can control entirely. She can control their path and move them with her mind. It's weak in power but she has almost no limit to how many knives she can create and control.**

"Yeojin... I think she has a plan," she said as Seungha and Sooyoung nodded. Sooyoung jumped over there with her burgundy shockwaves as Seungha created some sort of icy slide for her to skate across and over to Yeojin. Choerry ran over as Yeojin looked between them all. Her eyes glanced up to the booth.

**Im Yeojin - Crosshairs**

**Yeojin is in fact, a binate. It's a fact many seem to forget but her second ability, Crosshairs, allows her to pinpoint a person's location using their heartbeat and can be used to 'lock in' on an individual. It allows her to track people over long distances, find hidden enemies and even tell when someone is lying. However, she often uses it to better guide her knives towards their targets.**

"I'm sensing... two people, up in the booth," She said, "Don't look though," she said, "We don't want them to know we know they're in there," Yeojin said. Choerry and Seungha took a glance before looking back at Vivi. Seungha stomped her foot on the ground as ice rushed over towards Vivi, trapping her free arm as she struggled to escape. 

Choerry thought, "It must be Jennie," she realised, "She escaped earlier when we had to intervene," Choerry shook her head, _of course,_ Jennie was behind it all. But the purple-haired girl still found herself confused as to why Jennie was doing... whatever it was she had done to Vivi. Sooyoung nodded but seemed confused.

"Okay but...look at Vivi's eyes... and that weird aura around her head," she pointed out as the others noticed it. Haseul's eyes widened, "That other person must have some sort of ability that triggered it... maybe some sort of mind control or weird illusion," Sooyoung reasoned as the others nodded. Heejin seemed worried, her look toward Vivi softened as she looked back to the others.

"Well... what do we do?" Heejin questioned.

Choerry thought for a moment before looking back to her friend, "Yeojin? Any ideas?" She asked as the shorter girl thought for a moment. She looked over to Vivi and could still sense the two heartbeats. They had to be near her... but for what? Jennie was smart, she had to have had a reason to be in such a risky position. Clearly, Yeojin could somewhat understand making Vivi attack her friends so ruthlessly but why stay near her when she could easily also attack her? 

"Hm..." They had to split up, "Create a distraction or some cover, me and Heejin will find a way to the booth and confront Jennie and her friend. The rest of you... hold off Vivi. Restrain her and try to pin her down but... we can't let her hurt anyone any further," Yeojin said. Choerry nodded, already beginning to form an idea. She looked over to Vivi, her eyes softening upon seeing the number one struggle to escape, Yeojin's knife already beginning to come loose. Vivi was one of the nicest people Choerry had the luxury of meeting. She cared about everyone regardless of their level and after learning how far she's come as a person... she couldn't let Jennie continue with this.

"Seungha," she said, the girl turning to look at her friend. "Remember that one time in the hallways? Where I melted the ice crystals out of your hair?" Choerry questioned as Seungha nodded, cringing a little as she remembered the harsh words she spat at the fiery girl that day. Still, she wondered what exactly Choerry was planning. "I was thinking... you melt the ice with heat, you get water. Heat water... you get water vapour. Say... how much ice and heat would be needed to create a large vapor cloud?" Choerry asked. Seungha smirked.

"Leave that to me," she said as she and Choerry smiled. Well, this was certainly a first- fighting alongside Choerry was not something Seungha thought would fill her with a burning sense of excitement. It had been... well, a very long time since she'd last fought anyone. Although the reality of it having to be Vivi made her sick to her stomach and want to freeze Jennie solid, the icy girl found herself interested to see how she and Choerry bounced off of each other. Choerry's hand gripped Seungha's, the icy girl looking up to see that Choerry's eyes... weren't glowing.

Seungha noted it was odd, Choerry's eyes didn't glow like everyone else's. Instead of both irises glowing a certain colour, a singular ring was around only one of her irises. She shook her head, she'd have to ask later. She felt Choerry's hand heat up as she exhaled, her icy breath becoming visible. As the knife fell out of Vivi's arm, the number one swung her arm onto the ice to set free her other arm. The girl glared toward the six. Her eyes glowed pink as she dashed toward them. Then, Seungha and Choerry raised their hands together. A small amount of vapour began to be emitted, only for a large cloud of the light grey and translucent gas to be released as Vivi raised her arms to her face to protect her eyes. 

Yeojin grabbed Heejin's hand and ran, climbing up over the wall behind them and into the bleachers, where Yeojin guided Heejin toward the booth. She knew a way there, but it may take some time. She could only hope her best friends could hold off Vivi for long enough.

Vivi searched around in the cloud as the others moved away to form some sort of a plan. Sooyoung felt her legs shake as she jumped towards Vivi, a shockwave being fired from her legs as she rapidly neared the number one. Vivi raised her arm as Sooyoung's fist collided with Vivi's metal arm. Vivi felt herself be pushed back a little but she held her ground, pushing Sooyoung back as Sooyoung flipped away from Vivi and landed on the ground. Once again, she dashed toward Vivi who threw a punch with her metal arm. Sooyoung ducked beneath the punch and uppercut Vivi. She then grabbed her metal arm whilst she was still mid-air and threw her to the ground.

Vivi shook her head, clearly disorientated. Sooyoung raised her fist, hoping to knock her out and end the fight quickly, but Vivi rolled out the way as the fist collided with the earth beneath her.

Sooyoung watched as Vivi rewound her wounds and stood up. Sooyoung retracted her fist from the earth and readied to fit Vivi, but the number one dashed toward Sooyoung and punched the girl in the stomach. Sooyoung keeled over and felt a sharp pain on her back as Vivi elbowed the girl in the back, sending her to the ground. Vivi kicked the girl onto her back as Sooyoung tried to see where Vivi was. Vivi raised her foot and stomped on the girl's stomach as Sooyoung cursed. She raised her metal arm, hoping to knock her out like Sooyoung tried before, but Haseul jumped and grabbed on to Vivi's metal arm.

Haseul gave a pleading look to the girl as her defence, medical and power stats were all boosted. "Vivi- listen to me!" She said as Vivi glared at her, confused. "This isn't you! What's happening?" She asked as she saw Vivi's confused eyes. The girl closed them and shook her head as Haseul's eyes widened. What had Haseul... had she gotten through to her? Was Vivi fighting off whatever it was that was making her too this? She began to lower her stats as she felt Vivi calm down. Before she could do anything more, Seungha fired a blast of ice, pinning Vivi's metal arm against the wall as Haseul jumped away.

Vivi's head snapped back to Seungha as she shook her head and then glared toward Haseul. Her arm broke out of the ice with ease as she picked up a chunk of the ice and threw it toward Haseul. The girl raised her arms to block it as she was sent back a few feet and fell onto the ground, groaning and wishing she hadn't lowered her stats earlier. 

Vivi then dashed toward Seungha, but the girl put her hands to the earth as a large wall of ice formed in front of her and Choerry. Vivi's metal arm collided with the wall and got stuck. Vivi growled and pulled it back as Choerry jumped over the wall. Choerry felt intense heat surround her hand for a moment. She charged up an attack and fired it down at Vivi who was sent back several feet, but the number one kept her legs and feet anchored to the ground. Choerry landed in front of the wall, a fiery aura surrounding her as Vivi glared.

Choerry propelled herself forward, fire shooting from behind her as her hands were surrounded by fire. She delivered a punch to Vivi's stomach which caused some form of mini-explosion as the girl was sent back a few feet. Vivi snarled and ran toward Choerry, metal arm raised. She threw a punch which was dodged by Yerim. The girl then flung herself forward, punching Vivi across the face with an ignited punch. She then delivered several more fiery punches toward the number one. 

Vivi then tried to hit Choerry with her metal arm but the girl moved to the side and elbowed Vivi. Vivi shook her head, a few metres away from Choerry now. She raised her metal arm once more, her wounds healing again. _'Okay... whatever Jennie did, it means Vivi isn't thinking at all like her usual self in more ways than just her personality. She's not got a clear plan, just throwing punches and kicks and throwing bodies around... she has no plan,'_ Choerry noted. _'She attacks and after being hurt, will heal herself,'_ She then readied herself as Vivi dashed toward her.

Choerry raised her hand, her entire body surrounded by a fiery orange aura with sparks flying around her. Vivi's metal wrist was caught by Choerry as Choerry focused. Vivi looked to her arm, feeling some sense of intense heat. She tried to push Choerry off of her but Choerry persisted, Choerry then stamped her foot on the ground as fire erupted all around them and Vivi was sent flying back by the explosion. 

Choerry then pushed both of her hands forward as several fireballs were launched toward Vivi, surrounding the number one in a raging blaze and flurry of explosions. Seungha looked on, utterly shocked that Choerry, the usually happy and cheery student body council president, was this efficient in a fight. I guess she shouldn't be surprised- Choerry was trained by Jinsoul and Jungeun and given Jungeun's mother's history as a Pro-Network Battler (as Jiwoo had told her) and that Choerry used to live with Jungeun's family (once again, told to her by Jiwoo) it was no wonder that the girl was this good in a fight.

Vivi then breathed heavily, the insane heat was wearing her down. But not just her. Choerry felt to one knee and panted for breath. ' _Shoot... my fire....'_ she looked to her palm, a small flame still flickering, _'Those attacks... I came up with a way to suppress and compress the heat and fire I create to create quick and powerful attacks to end a fight as soon as possible. I did this because I hated dragging out fights... but against someone like Vivi- it's a lot harder to end a fight quickly. These attacks are causing my body to overheat...'_

The fiery aura around Choerry was actually raging now, like an out of control blaze as her fire grew hotter. _'When my body overheats- my attacks and fire become hotter and stronger... but I become dehydrated and my body can deteriorate... I need to be careful,'_ she noted. Her eyes widened as Vivi dashed toward her. Not having enough time to protect herself immediately, Choerry closed her eyes. Seungha's eyes widened as she tried to move quickly, not wanting to let Choerry get hurt.

But she stopped as Vivi's eyes widened.

Her fist had gone right through Choerry's body... or where it once was. Choerry had seemingly burst into flames and entirely vanished. Seungha looked around, wondering where the student council president had gone. She looked to her hand, a match.

_Seungha watched as Choerry handed her a box of... matches? "Choerry... what are these for?" She asked as Choerry smiled. She noticed the fire and heat building up around her hand as Choerry looked up at Seungha._

_"Let's just say... I have a neat little trick I can show you... if I randomly disappear-" Seungha's eyes widened as she gave Choerry a bewildered look. The purple-haired girl only smiled, "-then light a match!" She said as she gleefully jumped over the wall as Seungha heard the fight start as she watched from behind the icy wall._

Seungha shrugged and struck a match against the side of the box as it lit up. At first, the flame danced only slightly, flickering and wavering until it grew... and grew. The fire began to rage as Seungha yelped and dropped it to the ground. Vivi turned and was surprised to see Choerry walk out from the raging fire that had seemingly come from a single match being lit. Seungha was amazed... it seemed almost like magic.

**There are three main ways someone can inherit two different powers from their parents! An amalgamation is when two parent abilities become one singular ability!**

**Becoming a Binate is when the child inherits both seperate abilities and lastly you have 'Assimilation' or it's nickname- an odd eye!**

**Here, the child only inherits one ability, but the other parent ability is 'assimilated' into it. It's thought to actually be a variation of how Binates are formed but much research is still going on.**

"I don't know too much about my parents... but what I do know is that one of them must have had some sort of ability that let them travel through portals... it's how my Odd Eye allows me to use fire as some sort of medium for travel," she said turning back around to smile at Seungha. Seungha smiled but noticed something odd. Sweat drops from Choerry's forehead seemingly began to evaporate. However, before she could bring it up, she saw Vivi dash towards them.

Choerry turned around and stamped on the ground. After some tremors and quiet rumbling from the ground, a pillar of fire surrounded and consumed Vivi as the number one yelled and collapsed. Seungha was amazed. She walked over to Choerry as the fiery aura around her body began to die out. Seungha looked to Choerry who was breathing heavily now. 

"Guess I'm not the only one who's hurt by their own ability," Seungha said as Choerry nodded. 

"Yeah... sorry if I got a little intense," she laughed slightly as Seungha rolled her eyes. "But seriously... hope I can find Chaewon after this, she can usually heal me after all this," she said as Seungha nodded. "Plus, Doctor Hoseok made some cooling tonics for me a while back," she added. Of course, they were no where near them. Seungha then had an idea as she went over to Choerry and placed a hand on her shoulder. Choerry gave a confused look but she then began to feel coldness spread throughout her body. She felt a small smile make its way onto her face. In the same way that Choerry melted the ice building on Seungha's body, Seungha was cooling her body down.

They both snapped their heads back to Vivi, however, when they heard the girl groan as she began to stood as her wounds rewound. They both readied themselves, waiting for Vivi to attack. But before she could, someone pounced onto Vivi and held her down. Vivi began thrash as Haseul spoke to her. "Vivi... _please!_ " She said as Vivi's movements slowed. Seungha and Choerry's eyes widened as Haseul seemed to calm Vivi down.

=======

"Tch! What's up with her?" Jennie questioned as Hwasa shrugged. The two were hiding in the booth, Jennie just about peering above it, her phone propped up on the desk and recording the whole fight. She quickly grabbed it and stopped the recording. 

"I don't know... that Haseul girl must be very important to her if she's enough to somehow weaken the effects of my power," Hwasa explained. Jennie rolled her eyes.

"First she beats Lisa and now she's ruining this... ugh!" She said. Jennie shook her head, "No matter... I've already got all the footage I need," she smiled. But before she could do anything, she felt something sharp just graze her. She heard it embed itself into the desk in front of them as she looked back, seeing an orange knife-like weapon glowing on the table. 

Jennie turned around as she saw the glaring eyes of Yeojin and... who she could only assume to be Heejin. The latter girl hadn't been as much of a thorn in her side as her shorter friend had been. Jennie scoffed and rolled her eyes as Yeojin glared at her. It was really unintimidating to Jennie... but still, she was a little interested in how they figured out she was up here. Now that she had thought about it, she had never paid attention to what Yeojin's actual ability was. It certainly had to be more than knives... she closed her eyes, focusing on who was in front of her. Jennie looked at Yeojin and smiled.

"Ah... if it isn't you," she said as Yeojin snarled.

"Shut the fuck up," Yeojin spat back as Jennie glared down at her. Jennie was in an unfortunate position. Sure, the booth was spacey enough for multiple people, but it was still difficult to fully manifest her knight.

"Oh great, always trying to ruin my plans," she said, "Ugh, can't you all just leave me alone?"

Yeojin laughed and raised an eyebrow, "What? As if you haven't been obsessed with Seungha and Vivi lately?"

Jennie glared, "My business with those two is none for you to meddle in," she said as Heejin rolled her eyes. She was already pretty sick of seeing someone who was supposedly the second strongest student in the school act like such a brat. Jennie didn't seem to remember, but Heejin was more than present to see her and Seungha's break up.

"It becomes our business when you mess with our friends," she said as Jennie rolled her eyes. "Why do you even do everything?"

"I-" Before Jennie could speak, Yeojin cut in.

"Yeah... you had all you needed to be happy- you were wealthy, you had love, your parents loved and still love you..." Yeojin trailed off, shaking her head, "So... why? Why throw it all away for your stupid ideas?"

Jennie's fist clenched. "You think... I wanted to lose them?" She questioned, her voice quiet but laced with aggression. Hwasa's eyes widened, this was practically the first time she saw... any side of Jennie other than the malicious one.

"I... I never wanted to," Jennie said, "I'm... so fucking angry. Angry that none of you has realised it yet. I was so naive, I believed that Seungha and Vivi were right and that the world was full of goodness and all that sort of thing- that people who looked down on others due to their ability were losers and idiots... but of course, that changed," she admitted. "You see, the world doesn't work like that. Society favours the strong over the weak. It's how things have always been... once I learnt that, I knew there was no place for Seungha's... ideology," she said.

"What-" Yeojin said, but Jennie continued.

"Seungha was..." Jennie chuckled, "Resolute, in what she believed. So was Vivi. I knew that, if she continued, perhaps she'd accidentally inspire false hope in those weaklings... she had to learn that if she ever wanted to go anywhere- to do anything, she'd have to outgrow that mentality. It made her weak... or be seen as weak. Whether she liked it or not, those strong bullies who pushed around the weak... were our allies,"

"...and to help her realise it... you lied to her, betrayed her trust and drove away all her friends?" Jennie rolled her eyes at Yeojin's statement.

"Everything I said, was to better make everyone around me realise the truth too. Of course, some of them weren't very... fond of it. But the truth hurts," Jennie said.

Yeojin scoffed, "And so what's all this for then? Why have you been just down-right harassing Vivi?"

Jennie sighed, "Vivi's challenged me one too many times... if I have to force her into her proper duties as the number one then I will," That was it, Yeojin realised. All of it was to force Vivi into this... cruel position. "That's why I've been filming it and had Hwasa help mess around with her mind," she said as Yeojin's eyes widened. Hwasa looked down to the ground guiltily, Yeojin could tell she wanted no part in any of this.

"So... by doing all this... by showing people Vivi attacking them... they won't trust her anymore," Yeojin said as Heejin's eyes widened.

"Not in the way they once did, yes,"

"That's... vile," Heejin said as Jennie laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Please... I never wanted it to come to this either. After all, before she was your friend?" For once, Yeojin could see more than just an icy poison in Jennie's eyes. She could see... hurt. "...she was mine," she said. Jennie shook her head, "Though... I feel as if you should know this, Yeojin," she began as the shorter girl gave her an odd look as she chuckled.

"What are you even talking about?" Yeojin asked as Jennie rolled her eyes with a sigh.

"You should know more than anyone how people see the weak," Jennie said, "You're only a level 4.3... a mid tier and all your life people have bullied and picked on you... you know how people see you- as a weakling," Jennie giggled venomously, "Maybe that's why you surround yourself with such strong people? Or why you're such an annoyance to me? To make yourself feel stronger and so that you aren't reminded how no one sees any use of someone as weak as you," she said as Yeojin shook her head.

"...shut up-"

"Poor little Yeojin hates being reminded that she is nothing like her friends, just a small weakling who'll always struggle in life," she said, "And you?" She questioned, looking at Heejin. She laughed, "It's almost pitiful- both of your best friends are strong enough to become Battle Network Champions yet you... are painfully average. You don't have the same prowess as them and so you're lost... no idea with what to do with your miserable self," Jennie spat as the two looked to the ground.

Jennie sighed, "You're all so ignorant of what your lives are actually like- you're trying to live a fantasy where everyone is equal and everyone is trying so hard but it isn't like that. Face it, everything I'm doing is just to reinforce what everything is truly like," she said, shaking her head.

"I think..." Yeojin said. Jennie looked over at the girl who raised her head and glared back at Jennie, "I think I finally get it," she said.

Jennie raised a brow, "Hmm?" She questioned.

Yeojin nodded, "Of course... you're so obsessed over Seungha and Vivi because... you've been trying, forcing and convincing yourself that this is right. All of this bullying and harassing because this is just how life is. This is normal... but you..." Yeojin smirked, "You hate it, or at least did, or maybe still do deep down,"

Jennie seemed shocked as her mouth was wide open, "I- _what?"_ She questioned as Yeojin nodded.

"Everyone thinks I'm an idiot but I've picked up on things that others haven't. Like, the way you talk about how 'this is just how things are' makes it all sound like you're just a cog in a machine- that everything is out of your control and regardless of whether or not you enjoy it, this is just how life is and you're forced to follow it. The strong rule over the weak, or whatever bullshit someone fed you," Jennie glared at the shorter girl.

Yeojin smiled, "But Seungha and Vivi... they're fine. They're still thriving despite their 'naive' and 'childish' beliefs. You're so mad about it as well, you're wondering why you had to commit to something you maybe don't even fully believe in but they're happy and still living their best selves," Jennie's fist clenched, "You're mad Jennie, you're mad someone fed you a bunch of bullshit that you thought would make you happy and thought would help you but all it did was make you an angry shell of who you used to be," she said as Jennie ran over to her.

"Shut up!" She said, slapping Yeojin right across the face. Heejin's eyes widened. She quickly manifested a rope and threw it around Jennie. Jennie realised but before she could do anything else, the rope tightened around her. As the thrashed around, she found it harder to focus to summon her knight.

Hwasa's eyes widened. Before she could run too, knives thrown by Yeojin pinned her against the ground. Yeojin grabbed Jennie's phone and deleted the footage, before smashing it onto the floor.

"HEY! You didn't need to do that!" She complained. Yeojin shrugged.

"Better safe than sorry," she said.

As she finished, Yeojin looked down the booth and gave a thumbs up to the others, but faltered as her eyes widened. Vivi was no longer under Hwasa's influence but... she sat up shocked and looked around. Vivi's eyes widened as her hands made her way around her mouth, utterly shocked by what she'd done. Sana, Chungha and the Coach gasped as they were set free. Vivi felt her eyes water. What had she done...

"I... no..." she muttered. Haseul tried to put a hand on Vivi's shoulder, but the girl moved away from it. Chungha and the Coach looked up to see Yeojin drag Jennie up to the window in the booth and point to her as they nodded. Chungha gave Vivi a sympathetic look as she walked over.

Vivi looked at everyone in front of her.

_'I... this is all my fault...'_

"Vivi...?" Chungha questioned.

_'I... not again... I'd swore I'd change...'_

"Vivi... it's okay..." Chungha tried to reassure. She could hardly imagine the sheer guilt that hit the poor girl now.

_'I'm... I'm a monster...'_

Vivi's eyes looked at the pained and unconscious bodies of her classmates. She did this. Vivi had tried so hard to change, to be a better person, to feel proud of herself and to make her father proud... and she'd failed. She felt the tears her eyes were holding fall. Her vision went cloudy as she glowed with a pink aura.

"I-I..." she choked out, "I'm... so so sorry," she said as she dashed off. Haseul felt her heart shatter upon seeing her crush... her best friend, crying. Haseul immediately ran after her with the coach following suite. Choerry looked to Seungha, who held an emotionless look before she glared up at Jennie. Choerry was taken aback, it had been a very long time since she'd seen such... icy fury in the girl.

"Jennie Kim... the worst has yet to come," she said as Chungha made her way up to the booth. Choerry thought back to the time where Jennie threatened them all with the same words and worried about what Seungha would do. She felt as if things were about to go south very quickly and that perhaps, Seungha and Jennie might finally finish what they had started. 

_**=======** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOO SO THERE IT WAS!
> 
> I'll let you compose your comments now :)
> 
> Again, not much else I want to add. Although AHHHH HASEUL'S SELFIE?????? IM IN LOVE
> 
> There's not much else for me to say right now but I am open to fic recommendations! I don't like mature fics and fics that can become very smutty I tend to drop (I've learnt to read tags and think twice about giving a kudos for this reason) so please to do not recommend those to me! Fluff and angsty fics are fine though!
> 
> Again, I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter. Leave your thoughts, drop a question in my curiouscat, share this to friends.
> 
> I'll be working on Chapter 7: Frozen Fire, in the mean time :)

**Author's Note:**

> WHOOP so there's the first chapter. I hope you all enjoyed.
> 
> Again- please leave a detailed comment detailing your thoughts on this first chapter. More comments mean more motivation which means more updates. So please, be an active participant and tell me your thoughts.


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